Barcelona-based studio Barozzi Veiga has completed its first UK project, which will house Ravensbourne University’s Institute for Creativity and Technology. The building, whose interiors are designed by Brinkworth, is also the first to be completed within the Design District, London’s new purpose-built creative hub at the heart of the Greenwich Peninsula. Featuring a polished aluminium-clad façade that reflects the neighbouring buildings, the design engages with the surrounding context, while also referencing the area’s industrial past.
The four-storey building designed by Barozzi Veiga showcases the signature clean geometry of the renowned architecture practice. The large-scale windows placed in grid pattern reflect a play with scales, while the interior spaces present various heights. The project will house the university’s graduate school with its 200 students and staff, and the programme comprises a start-up incubator, a research lab and a workshop equipped with prototyping resources and an AR-/VR lab, as well as an exhibition space. The interior configuration is designed around the idea of flexibility, allowing the building to be transformed and adapted over time easily. Echoing the architecture proposed by Barozzi Veiga, the interior, designed by London-based studio Brinkworth, showcases an industrial aesthetic made of birch plywood and powder-coated steel structures that function as room dividers or storage spaces.
When developing this project, we had the goal of making spaces for creative activities of various kinds, including art, photography, technology, and communication. For this reason, we could not think of a more appropriate tenant than Ravensbourne University, whose courses and activities are deeply characterized by creativity.” – Alberto Veiga, founder, Barozzi Veiga.
Barozzi Veiga is one of the eight leading firms tasked with shaping the Design District, along with 6a Architects, Mole Architects, Architecture 00, Selgas Cano, HNNA, Adam Khan Architects and David Kohn Architects. Each practice independently designed two buildings, each with its own aesthetics and expression, creating a highly diverse assemblage of spaces and architectures.The opening of the University building is the first in a series of launches scheduled for this summer, with the site’s official opening set to take place in September this year. The Design District has also announced a significant reduction in rent for the first year to help kick-start London’s creative recovery.
