Following the opening of the New Academic Building by Her majesty the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh on November 5 2008, thoughts and planning have moved on to the next major development on campus, the Students’ Centre.

The Students’ Centre will be located where St Philips currently stands and will house the Students' Union, playing a vital role in enhancing the student experience and in furthering the LSE's aim of creating a world class campus. The Students’ Centre will provide a hub for student life at the heart of campus. As well as housing a number of student facing services such as residences and accommodation, the Students’ Centre will also contain a learning space; a pub; large and small venue spaces; a media centre; a fitness centre, which will include a gym and dance studio; and an interfaith prayer centre.

O'Donnell & Tuomey Architects have been chosen to design the Students’ Centre following a competition involving five shortlisted architect practices, made possible by a £45,000 donation from the Annual Fund. Following the announcement, Aled Dilwyn Fisher, General Secretary of the Students’ Union said: "A new building for the Students' Union will allow us to provide the highest quality facilities for LSE students long into the future. We will finally have a building fit for our diverse range of societies, sports clubs, campaigns, welfare services and commercial services. The Students' Union is delighted to have this opportunity and is looking forward to working with the Estates Division to develop a new centre for LSE students that matches their needs."
 

Other planned campus developments include the refurbishment of Tower One and Two for completion by the end of 2010, refurbishment of the Old Building entrance. Bigger projects are planned to follow the completion of the Students’ Centre including redevelopment of Clare Market, East Building and St Clements to be completed in 2017.

Building for the Students’ Centre is due to begin in July 2010 with a completion anticipated for November 2012.

More information and related articles: LSE website

3 November 2009

- LSE100

- Thanksgiving Service at Westminster Abbey for Lord Dahrendorf

- New Penguin on the block

- LSE wins national recycling award for Zero Waste project

- LSE: a history in pictures

- Launch of LSE's new Catalan Observatory: a space for ideas

- Conran design for new student accommodation