Nicholas Burwell close to UCL interiors completion

Nicholas Burwell Architects is about to complete the restoration of two buildings for University College London’s history of art department, having recently worked on UCL’s front lodges.

Work is being finalised on the interiors of two Grade II-listed buildings at 20-21 Gordon Square (pictured), which will house the history of art department. NBA is also working on the facades of the buildings.

The practice has been engaged on the project for about 18 months, and work started on site in April, according to director William Deakins. NBA was picked from UCL’s framework.

The work includes restoration of the interiors, with all non-original features being stripped out, and the creation of new links at third-floor and basement level. The lighting is being upgraded and new carpets fitted.

Deakins says the work is ‘quite sophisticated’. ‘As it’s the history of art department, they’re happy to be quite innovative,’ he adds.
The department is set to move in before the start of the new academic year in September, and will replace other departments in the building, including sociology.

NBA has also recently completed interiors and landscaping work in and around UCL’s front lodges on Gower Street (pictured).

According to UCL, the work was intended to ‘improve the public face of the university’.

The work included refurbishment of the interiors of the lodges, with the addition of a bespoke new reception desk and feature wall to the South lodge. The North lodge now contains a map of the campus.

Other aspects include the addition of glazing to the lodges’ front elevations to promote views to the main quad and the Wilkins portico, and the upgrading of the road surface to include bound gravel with granite setts and York stone to either side.