UCL Main Building

The Main Building at University College London, includes the Octagon, Quad, Cloisters, Main Library, Flaxman Gallery and the Wilkins Building. The North Wing, South Wing, Chadwick Building and Pearson Building are also considered part of the main UCL building.

The UCL Main Building is the centre of the UCL campus

North Cloisters, UCL (1980s)

The UCL Quad, part of the main campus, in front of the Slade School of Fine Art and the Main Building housing the Library, the astronomy shed is to the right with a sliding roof

History

In 1827, a year after the founding of UCL, construction of the Main Building began on the site of the old Carmarthen Square. The Octagon Building is a term used for the whole of the Main Building, but more appropriately for a central part of it. At the centrepiece of the building is an ornate dome, which is visible throughout the immediate area. The Octagon was designed by the Architect William Wilkins, who also designed the National Gallery. The original plans by Wilkins called for a U-shaped enclosure around the Quad (square). Funds, however, ran out in 1829 with only the Portico and Dome finished. Wilkins original plans were not to be completed until the 20th century: The Main Building was finally finished in 1985, 158 years since the foundations were laid, with a formal opening ceremony by Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.^[1]

Octagon

The Wilkins Building is a term used for the whole of the Main Building, but more appropriately for a central part of it. The Octagon dome houses the central hall of the University Main Library, which contains casts from the John Flaxman casts-collection and a mural depicting the construction of UCL in a mythical scene with Jeremy Bentham overlooking the plans.

Quad

Facing Gower Street, the Quadrangle, abbrievated as the 'Quad', is an enclosed square of paths, grass and a few disabled car parking bays. There are a large number of benches as well as two decommissioned astronomy observatories.

Cloisters

The enclosed north and south cloisters connect the Octagon dome to the north and south wings of the quad respectively. They are one of the main thoroughfares of the College, and accommodate a series of exhibitions and events throughout the year (for example shows from students of the Slade School of Art and from the UCL special collections). To the north of the north cloisters is the Housman Room, which is a staff common room. To the south of the south cloisters is the auto-icon of Jeremy Bentham.

The Wilkins Building

The Wilkins Building refers specifically to the part of the building built during the lifetime of the architect William Wilkins. It does not include the later, U-shaped extensions around the Quad. Although these were designed by Wilkins they were not finished until 1985. Therefore the Wilkins Building refers to the oldest sections of the Main Building: the center part of the main building which includes the UCL Main Library, the dome, the Flaxman Gallery and the Cloisters. The Wilkins Building is grade I listed.

The Main Library

Further information: University College London § Libraries

The Main Library contains UCL's collections relating to arts and humanities, history, economics, public policy and law.^[2] The Flaxman Gallery, a collection of sculptures and paintings by artist John Flaxman is located inside the Main Library in the Octagon Building under UCL's central dome.

References

↑ "Landmarks in UCL's History". Archived from the original on 20 February 2009.
↑ UCL Library Services - Main Library

University College London

Academics

Faculties, schools & groupings	Faculty of Arts and Humanities (Slade School of Fine Art) Faculty of Brain Sciences Faculty of the Built Environment (The Bartlett) Faculty of Engineering Sciences School of Energy and Resources School of Management Faculty of Laws Faculty of Life Sciences School of Pharmacy Faculty of Mathematical and Physical Sciences Faculty of Medical Sciences Medical School Faculty of Population Health Sciences Faculty of Social and Historical Sciences School of Slavonic and East European Studies Institute of Education Neuroscience

Centres & departments	Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis Centre for Digital Humanities Centre for the History of Medicine Centre for Neuroimaging The Constitution Unit Department of Information Studies Department of Science and Technology Studies Department of Space and Climate Physics EPPI-Centre London Centre for Nanotechnology London Knowledge Lab Slade Centre for Electronic Media in Fine Art Urban Laboratory

Institutes & laboratories	Ear Institute Eastman Dental Institute Institute of Archaeology Institute of Child Health Institute for Global Health Institute of Jewish Studies Institute of Neurology Institute of Ophthalmology Institute of Security and Crime Science Pedestrian Accessibility and Movement Environment Laboratory

Other	Edwards Professor of Egyptian Archaeology and Philology Grote Chair of the Philosophy of Mind and Logic Pender Chair Papers from the Institute of Archaeology Public Archaeology Quain Professor Slade Professor of Fine Art UCL Jurisprudence Review Transcribe Bentham

University

Campus	Bloomsbury Bloomsbury Theatre Church of Christ the King Euston Road Gordon Square Gower Street Gray's Inn Road Halls of residence Holmbury St Mary Main Building Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology Queen Square Somers Town Tavistock Square Tottenham Court Road University of London Observatory Woburn Square

People	Academics List of notable people List of Nobel laureates Jeremy Bentham Michael Arthur (Provost)

Student life	UCL Boat Club The Cheese Grater Law Society University College Opera Pi Magazine Rare FM Royal Free and University College Medical School Boat Club Royal Free, University College and Middlesex Medical Students RFC UCL Union Student Central

Other	Citrus Saturday UCL Business Filming at UCL History Rivalry with King's College London Third-oldest university in England

Affiliates

Medical	Francis Crick Institute Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust Great Ormond Street Hospital Moorfields Eye Hospital Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust The Royal Free Hospital Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital UCLH/UCL Biomedical Research Centre UCL Partners University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Eastman Dental Hospital Hospital for Tropical Diseases National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital UCH Macmillan Cancer Centre University College Hospital University College Hospital at Westmoreland Street Whittington Hospital

Other	Alan Turing Institute Anna Freud Centre Association of Commonwealth Universities European Network for Training Economic Research G5 Golden triangle Institute of Advanced Legal Studies League of European Research Universities Russell Group Thomas Young Centre UCL Academy University College School University of London Yale UCL Collaborative

Category
Commons

Bloomsbury

Buildings	Barbadian H.C. Brunswick Centre Church of Christ the King Connaught Hall Goodenough College Hotel Russell The Lamb Montagu House Senate House St. George's St George the Martyr Holborn St Pancras New Church UCL Main Building

Squares and parks	Bedford Square Bloomsbury Square Brunswick Square Cartwright Gardens Coram's Fields Gordon Square Mecklenburgh Square Queen Square Russell Square Tavistock Square Torrington Square Woburn Square

Roads	Cartwright Gardens Gower Street Great Russell Street Guilford Street Gray's Inn Road Lamb's Conduit Street Malet Street Museum Street Southampton Row Woburn Place

History	The Bedford Estate Bloomsbury Gang Bloomsbury Group

Coordinates: 51°31′29″N 0°08′01″W / 51.5248°N 0.1336°W / 51.5248; -0.1336

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