What is the Royal College of Art?
The Royal College of Art, which recently celebrated its 175th anniversary, has solidified its place as one of the leading universities of art in the world. As the only wholly postgraduate school of art and design, it specialises in teaching and research, offering twenty degrees across the disciplines of fine art, applied art, design, communications and humanities. Over a thousand masters and doctoral students from more than 40 different nationalities interact with a teaching staff of over 100 professionals, all of whom are leading art and design practitioners in their own right.
Why is it moving?
Since 1962, the Royal College of Art has operated from the Darwin Building on Kensington Gore. However, since then the school has experienced a 40 per cent increase in admission, and valuable space for its students has become limited. The College needs more room to maintain the standard of excellence in art and design education for which it is renowned.
What will happen to the Kensington campus?
The Schools of Architecture, Communication, Design and Humanities, alongside the Fashion and Textiles programmes from the School of Material, will remain at the Kensington campus when the Ceramics & Glass and Goldsmithing, Silversmithing, Metalwork & Jewellery programmes (from the School of Material) join the School of Fine Art in Battersea.
The College will continue to function as one unified entity, with constant interaction between the two campuses. There is only a short distance between the two sites, approximately ten minutes on a bus or a bicycle.
What is the timetable for the project?
Refurbishment of the Sculpture Building in Battersea is already complete.
The Sackler Building for Painting opened in November 2009.
The Dyson Building, which houses Printmaking, Photography and InnovationRCA opened in September 2012.
Work on the Sir Po-Shing and Lady Woo Department of Applied Art Building is expected to begin in spring 2013.
Who are the architects?
Haworth Tompkins were selected – from a very strong shortlist – to design this second campus following an international architectural competition organised by the RIBA. The practice has enjoyed notable success in buildings for the arts and social housing with a diverse portfolio of work that covers the private and public sectors. Haworth Tompkins has won numerous design awards, most recently for The Young Vic Theatre, which landed the 2007 RIBA London Building of the Year Award and was also short listed for the Stirling Prize 2007.