- A new building for London College of Communication is being built at the heart of the new town centre at Elephant and Castle.
- Building works have reached their highest point, which was celebrated with a 'topping out' event.
- Opening in September 2027, it will be home to over 5,000 students and over 500 staff with the first two floors open to the public.
Councillors and the Mayor of Southwark celebrated the building milestone alongside the team delivering the over 1 million sq ft development, led by Get Living in collaboration with Delancey, Multiplex and in partnership with UAL.
LCC have been based in Elephant and Castle since 1962, bringing benefits to the local area across education, culture and the economy.
Their state-of-the-art new building will go beyond simply being a space for education. The next generation of creatives will study there, while it will be easier than ever for local people to explore everything the College has to offer as the building’s first two floors will be open to the public.
Set within the wider redevelopment of Elephant and Castle, the LCC building will complement the new town centre, known as The Elephant. This will see new shops, restaurants, leisure, new homes for rent – of which 337 will be affordable – as well as a new Northern Line entrance and ticket hall, paving the way for the future extension of the Bakerloo Line.
Cllr Helen Dennis, Cabinet Member for New Homes & Sustainable Development, said: “UAL’s London College of Communication belongs to the very fabric of Elephant and Castle. I am thrilled to see our vision becoming reality for a cutting-edge new campus to serve generations of students to come, unlocking even more opportunities for the wider community. It’s exciting that there are only more improvements to come for the town centre, including much-needed new homes, jobs, shops, community spaces, and a new Northern Line entrance and ticket hall, future-proofed for extension of the Bakerloo Line.”
Professor Karen Stanton, Interim President and Vice-Chancellor, UAL said: “The new building is a symbol of UAL’s ambition, not only for London College of Communication but for the area and the communities who live here. It is also a symbol of our optimism for London, higher education and the creative industries.
“We could not have reached this point without the hard work and passion of teams across the University. Today's celebration marks the culmination of years of their effort. As we reach the topping out, colleagues at London College of Communication are already planning how the new building will inspire the next generation of creative talent and strengthen our connections with the local community. I would also like to thank our partners, who have all shared our vision for the project."
Get Living CEO Rick de Blaby said: “The topping out of the new building for UAL’s London College of Communication is not only a pivotal milestone on site, but is a fantastic example of the collaboration which has been at the heart of this highly complex project. Working alongside the various members of the construction team, UAL, Southwark Council and TfL has been extremely rewarding and we look forward to continuing to do so as The Elephant continues to take shape.
“In addition to this building for UAL, a number of The Elephant’s other buildings have also recently reached their highest point, providing an exciting and tangible symbol of what is to come. But just as rewarding as the progress on site has been the opportunity to get involved in the wider Elephant and Castle community, including by providing £50,000 a year to important local projects through the Inspiring Elephant Community Fund as well as contributing to the Elephant and Castle Community Fund. We also put on a number of exciting and impactful events for local residents and businesses, and operate a full-time Community Hub venue for a range of local groups.”