LCF Archives ambitions for the new building in Stratford
- Written byLondon College of Fashion
- Published date 27 September 2022
Share story
We caught up with London College of Fashion, UAL's Archives Manager, Susanna Cordner to get an overview of the aims and ambitions for the LCF Archives new spaces (including a Storage Space and Learning Studio), located on the Ground Floor of LCF's new campus on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford.
Looking ahead to Stratford, Susanna outlined the archive’s ambitions within the new building.
- LCF Archives will have a purpose-built store and study space/learning studio for the first time, positioned on the Ground Floor.
- The storage space will allow for rolling racking which means the archives team can store objects more efficiently and better care for the collections.
- The prominent location of the archives in the new building will increase LCF Archives presence. Susanna also aims to weave the archives into displays and learning spaces across the building to integrate and celebrate LCF’s heritage and east London fashion histories in our new building.
- Further developing the current LCF Archives work and connections to programming and workshop activity, the team will seek to co-create new connections with our local communities and our cohorts.
LCF Archives Store: ease, access, insights opportunities, care
The LCF Archives Store will primarily be a space for storing, cataloging, caring for, and preparing archive objects. To maximise the potential opportunities for students in the space, whether, on group tour visits or completing individual project tasks as part of their course, the space will also involve some opportunities for access and engagement, primarily through giving glimpses into some of the storage to give a sense of what we hold.
Learning Studio: agile, active, inspiring, interactions
The Learning Studio or study space will predominantly be used for access and engagement. It will be adaptable and agile to support different kinds of use and activity; from teaching and workshops to individual research appointments. We also aim for the space to relate to the themes and aims of the archives and engage visitors with its subject and strengths. The archives and their objects will feel like an active and present part of the experience of the space, rather than something that is locked away nearby.
LCF Archive display cases
As well as gaining a purpose-built store and learning studio, for the first time, LCF Archives will also have its own integrated display cases. These cases will welcome visitors into our Learning Studio space. They will provide an important part of our service, setting the tone for what our students and audiences can expect from their visit. They will form a part of the narrative of the space and service, reflecting LCF’s key interests; celebrating London’s fashion history and the different processes and production spaces that history holds, as well as LCF’s own trade school past. These cases will be used to rotate temporary displays of the LCF Archives objects, curated by staff and students.
