Queen Mary University of London

Dramatic presence and an eye-catching facade

The Project

Part of the School of Humanities, the 5-storey building contains a large auditorium, studios, teaching and administration facilities designed by Wilkinson Eyre Architects Limited for Queen Mary’s University of London at its Mile End Campus. The new film and drama studio is clad in distinctive glass panels – digitally printed with artwork by the artist Jacqueline Poncelet.  QMUL is highly ranked amongst UK universities for the provision of arts and humanities courses.


The Approach

Oculus provided the building control services for the multi-million pound Humanities Building and assisted the Design Team with the challenging issue of ensuring the building was not affected by noise and vibration from the nearby underground system.  At foundation level the structure is effectively bearing on anti-vibration pads to limit noise and vibration migrating into the building’s structure.

Since 2002, Oculus has provided the building control services for many of the phases of the Mile End Campus student village, where award winning buildings have created 1,200 student rooms, restaurants, retail and other facilities. The Humanities Building is an important element of its on-going development and has pride of place prominently positioned on the Mile End Road – a main arterial route into central London.


CASE STUDY
Shakespeare's New Place / Nash's House

Spearheaded by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, a new oak and bronze gateway was created that opens on the original threshold of Shakespeare's New Place. This new permanent exhibition brings to life the story of Shakespeare's New Place and the personal life of its most famous occupant, and where he had his family home for 19 years. 

Read More

CASE STUDY
Tyntesfield

Tyntesfield is a spectacular Victorian Gothic Revival house with gardens, parkland and much more.  It had been the house of the Gibbs family for over 150 years. As the house was inherited by each generation of the Gibbs family, they stamped their own identity on the house and estate with different developments. The 14th June 2002 marked a new beginning for the house and estate when the National Trust announced their new acquisition.  The house was in need of extensive renovation and The National Trust set about re-roofing, re-wiring and re-plumbing the main house and generally improving access for visitor experience. 

Read More

CASE STUDY
Knole - Conservation Studio

The Conservation Studio is a new facility dedicated to conserving historical objects of the Knole collection. Located in a medieval barn, the Studio has been carefully converted into a two storey building with the original pitched roof profile having been restored after a fire in 1887. The new purpose designed Studio will offer an insight into the work of conservators and their important contribution to the conservation profession. Visitors will be able to observe specialists from multiple conservation disciplines in one location, and gain insight into a world rarely seen from behind closed doors. 

Read More