The Royal College of Art, the world’s leading university of art and design, according to the influential QS World University Ranking, has announced the opening of a new hub for communication, architecture and humanities and their integrated practices, in the regenerated BBC headquarters in White City – London’s newest research and creative quarter – in autumn 2017.
The 4,000 sqm new building is in the heart of the £4 billion redevelopment of White City. The RCA move will create an academic community of more than 700 students and staff in what is already becoming a hub for the creative industries, opening up further opportunities for interdisciplinary practice, including local external partners who can offer exhibition space, opportunities for live projects, digital direction partnerships and more. It is in close proximity to Imperial College London’s new state-of-the-art campus and learning environment.
Making the move will be the RCA’s Schools of Communication and Humanities, alongside new programmes within the School of Architecture. Together, the three Schools will create a purposeful concentration of postgraduate enquiry, ensuring also that close links with RCA Architecture, Design, Fine Art, Applied Art and Fashion in Kensington and Battersea are maintained, as well as with the RCA’s existing partner institutions.
The Schools of Communication and Humanities are world-renowned for their groundbreaking understanding and critical interrogation of culture and media in the context of communications, society and industry. Together, they provide an environment for innovative thinking and making to happen within an informed, expert and facilitated space for play, experimentation and risk, within an environment based on contextual, critical thought.
Professor Neville Brody, Dean of the School of Communication said:
“This is an unprecedented opportunity to extend and deepen our subject landscape, allowing a more leading-edge approach grounded in experience and expertise, with new initiatives underpinned by our reputation for innovation and skill.”
Professor Jane Pavitt, Dean of the School of Humanities added:
“This move will give the School, and most importantly its students and staff, a quality of space and interaction that will foster new thinking and practice in relation to arts and culture, media, design and the built environment. We look forward to shaping a vibrant and integrated creative environment in our new home.”
