We are delighted to update everyone on the development of a new space for the London Centre for Nanotechnology at Imperial College (LCN@Imperial) and the Thomas Young Centre (TYC). Designed by Sheppard Robson Architects it is located on the ground floor of the Royal School of Mines (RSM) and Bessemer buildings in South Kensington. The RSM and Bessemer buildings are linked and operate as a single complex accommodating the Departments of Materials, Bioengineering and Earth Science and Engineering, as well the Institute for Biomedical Engineering (IBME) and the Bionanotechnology Centre (BNC).

 

The Royal School of Mines (RSM) and Bessemer buildings hold an important place in Imperial’s history. RSM was built on land granted by the 1851 Commission, the organisation established by Queen Victoria to mastermind the Great Exhibition. In 1907 the building was used by the newly-formed Imperial College as a base from which to develop as an institution, an expansion that led to the integration of the Bessemer Laboratory for Metallurgy when it opened in 1912.

 

  

The Royal School of Mines

 

Significant redevelopment over the years and recently a substantial grant, £38.5 million, from the Science Research Investment Fund (SRIF) has placed the Departments of Materials, Bioengineering and Earth Science and Engineering in a modern refurbished space. The final phase of this is the provision of the LCN@Imperial and Thomas Young Centre (TYC) at the heart of the RSM-Bessemer complex.

 

 Bessemer Building

 

LCN/TYC Office Design

LCN/TYC Presentation

The Thomas Young Centre (TYC), the London Centre for Theory and Simulation of Materials, was established to coordinate research activities in London on the theory and simulation of materials, thereby enhancing both the quality of research and its impact on industry and academia. The TYC also has campuses in Bloomsbury and the Strand at Imperial College the centre is led by Professor Mike Finnis.

LCN:

The London Centre for Nanotechnology is a joint venture between Imperial and University College, with facilities at Bloomsbury and South Kensington. LCN accesses and focuses the combined skills of the Departments of Chemistry, Physics, Materials, Medicine, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Earth Sciences across the two universities and benefits from close interaction with the TYC.

 

LCN is at the forefront of training in nanotechnology and has been the recipient of multiple major research grants. It has strong relationships with the broader nanotechnology and commercial communities, and is involved in major collaborations. As the world’s only such facility to be located in the heart of a metropolis, LCN has superb access to corporate, investment and industrial partners.

 

“LCN@Imperial” is directed by Prof David McComb. It will provide a hub for the nanotechnology research effort and will include the most up-to-date research amenities. It will house academics, research staff and students as well as new laboratory for thin film growth and characterisation. The space occupied by “LCN@Imperial” and the TYC is contiguous with the BNC and IBME to promote multidisciplinary research.