It may be holiday time for many at LCC, but the College’s management and technical teams have been very busy relocating, revamping and reorganising in time for the start of the autumn term.
The major improvement works currently underway affect many areas of the building, but particularly the letterpress and printmaking workshops, which will now be located on the second and third floors of the Workshop Block, adjacent to the existing Heidelberg room (second) and print workshops (third).
There will be a full range of resources for different types of traditional printmaking, typesetting, book arts, textile printing, offset litho print and finishing.
The aim is for a more collaborative working model between areas which had formerly been spread around the building. For example, print and letterpress will now share the paper and chemical stores, and with around ten technicians in total between all disciplines, the areas will offer fantastic facilities and expert support to students and academic staff.
The letterpress staff are also taking the opportunity to sort, rationalise and update their typefaces before they set up home in a new space.
The heavy and delicate antique equipment has to be moved from one block to another by crane, stationed in the yard between the two blocks. Every piece of machinery is being packed into crates or onto pallets, picked up with the crane and set down on a platform on the appropriate floor.
Part of a printing press is lifted into its new location
As many items as possible are being reused or recycled during the process, with even specialist sinks being preserved and transplanted to new homes.
Letterpress’s former studio on the lower ground floor of the Design Block is to be used by Foundation students for photography, as it is close to some of the College’s darkrooms, while the old printmaking area on the Design Block’s ground floor will be split into three studios for BA (Hons) Photography and BA (Hons) Production for Live Events and Television.
Also on the way are a new small TV studio suitable for TV journalism, green screen and animation on the lower ground floor of the Media Block, and a new blacked-out project space between the Main Lecture Theatre and the wood workshop.
The eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh and fourteenth floors of the Tower Block are being redecorated, with new ceilings, new lighting and where necessary new carpets and blackout curtains. The Kit Room is being extended, which will facilitate a greater provision of equipment loans to students and staff.
New outdoor furniture arrived at the College earlier this year
This is in addition to the new concrete benches and cycle storage installed in front of the College during the summer term.
Watch footage of the crane in action //
More detailed information about the summer works and room changes will be circulated to staff and students in due course.