Welcome
‘The RCA gave me the confidence to dream.’
Sir James Dyson OM, Designer and entrepreneur
This exhibition introduces the RCA’s proposals to extend our Battersea campus, to provide new opportunities for teaching and research ‘The world’s number one art and design university.’ alongside world-class facilities, and to QS World University Rankings, increase our educational offer to students. 2017, 2016, 2015 The purpose of this exhibition is to provide you with an early opportunity to learn more about the RCA and to comment on our concept. We intend to submit a planning application to Wandsworth Council later this year and are planning a second exhibition in advance of this. Members of the project team are on hand to discuss the plans and answer ‘The RCA is a diverse melting pot of any questions. creativity… it is the most exciting design laboratory in the world.’ Before you leave, we would appreciate your David Adjaye, Architect feedback on our plans, using one of our feedback forms or on our website: rca.ac.uk/battersea The RCA contributes significantly to the UK economy through The whole world around us has The RCA has trained a significantly entrepreneurship, research and innovation, alumni leading in industry, been designed and most of the high number of creative industry and its effectiveness within the creative and cultural industries. everyday objects which surround leaders, making a significant About us have been conceived through contribution to the the UK economy Beyond its core academic offering, the College generates more university- design decisions. Design is uniquely in the value of jobs, products, owned start-up companies than any other UK university. With 39 start-ups positioned to span the business/ services and exports. creating over 500 UK jobs and generating turnover of £40 million and over technology sectors and cultural/ £7 million of overseas sales, the success of our model is well proven. creative sectors in equal proportion, the RCA and is widely recognised as a valuable British ‘export’ and highly visible facet of UK cultural life – from the Burberry trench coat to the London Routemaster bus, both designed by RCA alumni.
Founded in 1837, the Royal College of Art is the world’s leading university of art and design, ranked global ‘The RCA was a hugely important number one for the last three years in the prestigious experience. It was there I figured QS World University Rankings. out who I was as a designer.’ The RCA sits at the pinnacle of the British creative Erdem, Fashion designer industries. It has demonstrated that it can more than The RCA has recently announced two important new research centres, ‘I look back on my time there hold its own on the international stage. which will be housed in Battersea: and realise how lucky and how — The Hyundai Kia Intelligent Mobility Research Centre will drive the honoured I was to get a place.’ development of autonomous vehicles. The RCA: — The Burberry Material Futures Research Group will be the first ‘STEAM’ Tracey Emin, Artist research centre at a traditional art and design university, inventing —Offers 25 distinctive art and design programmes sustainable materials and transforming consumer experience. to 1,800 postgraduate students. Centres such as ‘intelligent mobility’ will lead in areas of research critical to —Has two campuses, located in Kensington Gore the UK economy and bridge the gap between academia and industry, enabling knowledge exchange and innovation. Digital fabrication; artificial intelligence, and Battersea, with a third site opening in White City robotics and ‘autonomy’; the internet of things; virtual reality, imaging and this autumn. new paradigms of entertainment present tremendous opportunity for UK plc. These centres will bring leading global brands to Battersea, to collaborate with —Has four Schools: Architecture, Arts & Humanities, our internationally renowned academic and research staff, and knowledge Communication and Design. exchange programmes.
We will build on this foundation through the introduction of new and innovative programmes which tackle the key global challenges of the 21st century; increased research facilities; increased partnerships with industry; and enlarged and better resources for start-up incubation. ReachOutRCA Visual Cultures Lecture Series RCA Secret
The College’s school outreach programme ReachOutRCA has worked with the following The RCA’s Visual Culture Lecture series, open to the The College’s annual sale, now in its 23rd year, welcomes in the region of 500 young people from Wandsworth schools: Ernest Bevin, St Cecilia’s, public, brings world-renowned artists, curators and is a fixture of the art-world calendar, providing London boroughs to the RCA each year, for special Burntwood School, Ashcroft Technology Academy, theorists to Battersea, including Luc Tuymans and new collectors with the opportunity to buy RCA in the projects and as visitors to Show RCA, to provide Griffin Primary as well as the Katherine Lowe Turner prize-winner Anthea Hamilton. postcard-sized artworks by leading and emerging a range of diverse and challenging art and design Settlement centre for refugees and young carers. contemporary artists and designers. Previous experiences, including a variety of workshops to contributors include Sir Peter Blake, Paula Rego,
Community support the curriculum. David Bowie, Grayson Perry and Yinka Shonibare.
Herzog & de Meuron
Having the flagship building of the world’s leading art and design university, designed by world- renowned architects Herzog & de Meuron in the borough will strengthen Battersea’s growing The Royal College of Art plays an active part in the reputation as a new creative quarter. The visual appearance of the site will be Battersea community through interactions with improved by enhancement of public areas and better connections across the RCA campus creative businesses, organisations and individuals, and surrounding area. hosting talks by leading artists and designers that ‘Absolutely fantastic to take students outside are open to the public, holding public exhibitions Dyson Gallery of the school environment and experience a The RCA offers a number of public programmes, and opening its doors twice a year to showcase including cultural projects that benefit the world that they may not be aware of.’ community, and regular exhibitions by student work. Fine Art students, staff and alumni. Kit Griffiths, Teacher, Ashcroft Technology Academy Sculpture at the RCA has been located in Battersea Community Groups The College has strong links with local community since 1991, and the College now represents the biggest groups, who hold events including regular ‘Today I learnt that there is no right film screenings in our state-of-the-art Gorvy concentration of postgraduate fine art practice and or wrong in art, and many artists Lecture Theatre. research in the world. start by looking around them.’ The Battersea site currently houses our Fine Art, Xin-Yi, Griffin Primary School Ceramics & Glass and Jewellery & Metal programmes, as well as InnovationRCA, the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design, the new Intelligent Mobility Research Centre and the Moving Image Studio.
The RCA employs over 1,000 people, and its staff, students and visitors support local shops and businesses. Expanding our community in Battersea Show RCA and Open House
will have a positive impact on the local economy. Twice a year the College opens its doors to studios, workshops and seminar rooms, the spaces in which work has been made and debated; and to the polished, gallery spaces of the summer Show. These events provide an opportunity to see sculptures, prints, photographs, paintings and performance by our world-leading postgraduate students at a range of stages of development, and to gain a better understanding of the processes our students employ and the spaces in which they make. This is a caption The Brief
RCA Buildings RCA Activities Today, the RCA has five buildings at Battersea, which have Over the next 5 years, the RCA has plans to introduce accommodated the RCA’s academic Schools for the last 10 new programmes, 4 new research centres and 2 new 25 years. However, the growing demand for student places knowledge exchange labs. The aim is to transform the RCA means the RCA is now outgrowing these buildings. into a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics/Medicine) focussed university.
The new 15,000 m2 building needs to: • Create an identity for the RCA in Battersea. • Deliver flexible space which allows programmes, workshops and studios to be moved around within the building. Dyson Building (Battersea) • Be future proof in terms of student numbers. Painting Studio Studio • Integrate and connect with the whole RCA campus. • Protect the privacy of confidential research in certain areas of the building. • Add to the vibrancy of the area by creating active views into the building at key points, whilst protecting the Research Studios Innovation privacy of students.
Workshops
Dyson Building (Battersea) Moving Image Studio Textile Workshop
The workshops of Battersea South form the manufacturing base of the building. From this manufacturing base, large items and prototypes can be vertically transported by means of freight elevators to studio, research, and innovation spaces above for further testing, assembly, and display.
Sackler Building (Battersea) Textiles Workshop Metal Workshop
Herzog & de Meuron UK Buildings
Tate Modern in London, Herzog & de Meuron Tate Modern Blavatnik Building in London, Blavatnik School of Government in Oxford, Laban in London, Herzog & de Meuron Herzog & de Meuron Herzog & de Meuron The Site & Local Context
Foster and Partners 2
9 7
Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design 2 10
1 8 6
2 5 1 4
3 3 4
Vivienne Westwood HQ 5 1 3 4
Sackler Building 6
Ransome’s Wharf
Dyson Building
Woo Building
Image Studios
Site Cultural Quarter Ground Floor Uses
Sculpture The location is ideal as it will provide the space the RCA needs Retail Building to develop new areas of teaching and research. The addition of a Offices new RCA building would further strengthen the emerging cultural Residential quarter of Battersea, and add to the new creative businesses and Mixed Use independent gallery spaces located nearby. RCA Buildings RCA Research Existing Creative Industries Potential Spaces Restaurants/Bars 1. Vivienne Westwood HQ 1. Creative Industries 2. Foster + Partners HQ 2. 12-18 Radstock Street 3. Photography Studio 3. Parkgate Road 4. Commercial Gallery 4. Exhibition Space 5. Exhibition Space RCA 6. Distillery and bar 1. Hangar Exhibition Space 7. The Doodle Bar 2. Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design 8. Visitor Information 3. RCA Lecture Space 9. Restaurant/Cafe 4. InnovationRCA 10. Specialist retail and food outlets 5. Art / Material Shop 6. RCA Cafe
Existing Site Plan View of Site and Surrounding Area The RCA has recently acquired the freehold of a 1-acre site located to the south of the existing RCA Dyson, Woo and Sackler Buildings, which currently accommodates the RCA’s Moving Image Studio and Sculpture Building, as well as two vehicle repair garages and a petrol station.
To River Walk
To Rca Kensington
The site is bounded by Battersea Bridge Road to the west, Elcho
To Ransome’s Wharf Dock Development Street to the east, Howie Street to the north and Parkgate Road to the south, which leads to Battersea Park. Since the redundancy of most of the historical river-related uses, the area has become a new Battersea Bridge Road Parkgate Road riverside quarter with a public footpath leading to the river. The area
cycle parking is characterised by different building types of varying heights and To Battersea Park FUTURE CYCLE HIRE character and is also changing with new developments planned, which will create new homes and commercial space in the future.
The site is ideal as it will enable the RCA to meet its need for new teaching and research space locally and create a more prominent identity for the RCA.
CYCLE HIRE
Cycle Map The great majority of staff and students travel to Battersea on foot, by bike or public transport, and we expect this to continue. There is reasonable provision for travel by bus and good walking and cycling Westbridge Road Howie Street connections with access to the riverside and Battersea Park. The Proposal
DYSON VIVIENNE BUILDING 39m WESTWOOD 39m
36m 33m 17 32m
Conference
1 Innovation 22m 19m 9-15 THAMES THAMES
13.3m (DYSON BUILDING) 27-35 37 55 59 Studios Studios 53 57 61 63 65 Research
5.9m (RCA SCULPTURE BUILDING) Workshops Workshops
0 5 10 20m ROAD RCA Battersea South RCA Battersea South
0 5 10 20m PARKGATE HESTER ROAD HESTER HOWIE STREET HOWIE HESTER ROAD HESTER HOWIE STREET HOWIE PARKGATE ROAD PARKGATE Elcho Street West Elevation Battersea Bridge Road Elevation
39m RANSOME’S WHARF
36m RANSOME’S WHARF 33m
Conference
Innovation
16.6m 13.9m 13.9m 35 37-41 3 33 7 Research Studios 1 5 9 11 13 43-45 47
5.9 (RCA SCULPTURE BUILDING) 13-15 1-11 Workshops
0 5 10 20m RCA Battersea South RCA Battersea South
0 5 10 20m ELCHO STREET ELCHO ELCHO STREET ELCHO
Parkgate Road North Elevation STREET RADSTOCK BATTERSEA BRIDGE ROAD BATTERSEA
Howie Street South Elevation BRIDGE ROAD BATTERSEA
DYSON WOO SACKLER VIVIENNE 39m RANSOME’S WHARF BUILDING BUILDING BUILDING WESTWOOD 36m We are developing our ideas for the new building and as the 33m plans evolve we will need to carefully consider: • The design of the building and materials so that it respects both the heritage and changing context of the local area. 19m 16.9m 16-22 8 • Links between the new building and existing campus. 13.8m
14 • Integrating the building with the local townscape. • Enhancing public routes and improving the integration of different parts of the local area. • The public spaces and how Howie Street could be treated to make it the key focal point of activity.
0 5 10 20m • The height of the new building and how it relates to the surrounding buildings.
ELCHO STREET ELCHO • How we encourage the continuation of sustainable travel amongst staff and students. RADSTOCK STREET RADSTOCK Howie Street North Elevation BRIDGE ROAD BATTERSEA • The management of the building, including access and servicing. • How we manage the construction to minimise the impact on local residents and businesses.
. e onf erenc C e Conf v. enc er Inno vation onf Inno C Studios s Research vation Studio Research Inno
Work- shops
ch Workshops Resear
BATTERSEA BRIDGE ROAD Sackler Building Woo Building
Dyson Building View from Parkgate Road View from Westbridge Road View from Elcho Street
Research ios ud St Studios PARKGATE ROAD
Exhibition Studio Space orkshops s W ROAD
BATTERSEA CHURCH Research & Visitors Workshops Entrance
ROAD
WESTBRIDGE
Proposed Massing within Future Context View from Battersea Bridge Road View from Parkgate Road looking at Radstock Street View from Howie Street The Proposal
1 4
3 2
2
Student 1 Entrance 2 3
1 3
Research & Visitor Entrance
Public Space Surfacing Entrances Exhibition
Public Space RCA Link RCA Link RCA Link
1. Albion Riverside (Existing) Restricted Access Common Surface Treatment Exhibition Zone 2. Ransome’s Wharf 3. Howie Street 1. RCA Link Research Tower Internal Exhibition Spaces 2. Howie Street 1. The Hangar Frontage 3. Elcho Street 2. The Robotics Hangar Existing Restricted Access 3. Workshops 4. Hester Road Our emerging concepts include:
RADSTOCK STREET • Creating a new flagship building that brings a distinctive identity to the RCA.
BATTERSEA BRIDGE ROAD • Replicating the former industrial heritage of Battersea and style of the existing RCA buildings in the design. • A low building running along Howie Street to provide studio
ELCHO STREET and workshop space and rehouse the Moving Image Studio. • A taller element at the corner of Parkgate Road and Elcho Street to house the new research centres and HOWIE STREET InnovationRCA. • Exploring the possibility of traffic calming or part pedestrianising Howie Street to create a central public space. Exhibitions Workshops • Creating views into the building to the activity inside. Robotics • A ground floor exhibition space opening up the building to the public at key times of the year to showcase the work of the RCA. • Improving connections across the site to link the new PARKGATE ROAD building to the existing campus. • Increasing cycle provision across the site.
Public Realm – Site Plan Howie Street Visualisation These would put Howie Street at the centre of the RCA campus development. Resurfacing to Howie Street to provide part or full The new building will house the School of Design & School The restructuring of Howie Street is the focal point of activity for the proposals, and while the College itself is not normally pedestrianisation would coordinate with the proposed improvements to the surfacing of Elcho Street. of Arts & Humanities, Research Centres and InnovationRCA. accessible to the public, it is proposed that the workshop plinth is punctuated by ‘shop windows’, vitrines and benches to animate the streetscape.
Conference Innovation RCA Research
Studios Workshops
Urban Strategy Workshops Studios Research Innovation RCA RCA Battersea South Programme The ‘new’ RCA will address the key challenges and opportunities facing the world in the early to mid-21st century. Design is central to this future; it is the Thank you creative alchemy that turns invention into innovation. These are fields in which Britain can and should lead.
Housed in a new flagship building, the RCA will be an international centre of excellence in art and design, with global recognition, influence and impact, training a greater percentage of the world’s leading designers Thank you for visiting our exhibition. Please and prominent artists than any university. complete a feedback form to let us know your comments on our proposals. You can also fill out With this expansion of research and practice, the RCA the form online at rca.ac.uk/battersea or take will be an international thought leader, demonstrating away a form and return by Freepost. the value of art and design to society – a crucible where artists, curators, engineers, fashion designers Next Steps and scientists work together to create new knowledge. The RCA is committed to working with the local community throughout the development process.
— A detailed construction management plan will be agreed with Wandsworth Council in advance of any works starting on site.
— The site will be registered with the Considerate Constructors Scheme and our contractors will ensure that disruption is kept to a minimum for local residents.
— We will work closely with neighbouring landowners, residents and businesses to ensure that construction works and deliveries are co-ordinated.
‘When I went to the RCA, my world Timeline* really opened up – and that’s where Second public exhibition: If you would like to find out more early autumn 2017 about our proposals and receive I discovered there’s always a updates please visit our website solution.’ Submission of proposals: or sign up to our mailing list. late autumn 2017 Ridley Scott, Filmmaker Planning permission: anticipated early 2018
Contact Us [email protected] Public Consultation Cascade 020 7871 3565 Freepost RTUA-THGR-LUYK rca.ac.uk/battersea 26 Noel Street London W1F 8GY
*Subject to planning permission from London Borough of Wandsworth