Embrace delivers “art wrap” at the Main Quad temporary teaching pop-up

UCL (University College London) was founded in 1826 and is the leading multidisciplinary university in London. Its 11,000 staff produces research and delivers education to 35,000 students from 150 countries. Notable alumni include 28 Nobel laureates and are leaders in the respective fields such as Alexander Graham Bell, Mahatma Gandhi, Chris Martin, Christopher Nolan and Ricky Gervais.

UCL Estates are delivering more learning and teaching spaces at the university through their £1.2 billion Transforming UCL programme. As part of the masterplan a temporary teaching pop-up has been installed in the Main Quad – stunning historic grounds located directly in front of the Old Refectory, Wilkins Building and Octagon Gallery. The Main Quad is one of the busiest interchanges on campus.

The Main Quad teaching pop-up comprises of two storey modular cabins and has been installed to offset the reduced space in other locations whilst refurbishment works take place. It will remain in place for five years and includes two 100 and two 50 capacity lecture rooms.

In order to minimise disruption in the area – which is surrounded by Grade I listed buildings – what became commonly known as the ‘Art Wrap’ was designed by the late UCL Professor Edward Allington and Jo Volley, Senior Lecturer at the Slade School of Fine Art at UCL.

Embrace were on hand to digitally print and install the giant modular cabin wrap covering all four sides of the pop-up. By utilising extended frames and two seamlessly joined giant PVC mesh banners we were able to deliver the historically sympathetic creative design to transform the cabins into a work of art.

We also installed a lighting rig comprising of 60 metres of downlighting so that the entire structure is lit at night and can be programmed with different colours and effects to enhance the installation.

Finally UCL landscaped around the cabins so that the completed project is totally unrecognisable as temporary modular cabins and provides students with the space they need in an environment that fully reflects the heritage of UCL.

For more information on this project take a look at our UCL case study page.