The year-long closure of the Main Quad began leaving key questions over disruptions, costings, and contingency plans unanswered.
From this month until at least January 2026, the Main Quad and Cloisters will be closed to students and visitors as the University embarks on a major overhaul of the spaces to deliver what it calls a “physically inclusive environment” with accessibility at the heart of the project.
However, it leaves key questions unanswered about the renovation’s cost – yet to be revealed to the public – and contingency plans in the prospect that the project runs past its deadline.
At the last Union Executive meeting in December, Sports Officer Jack Sibeon asked whether the Union or UCL had contingency plans in place in case of a delay in the reopening of the Quad.
Union President Goksu Danaci assured that such a failure was “not possible” before being cut off by Activities & Engagement Officer Ana Boikova who said it was “UCL’s job” to ensure it doesn’t happen.
She added: “From our perspective it’s only for clubs and societies… they [UCL] have mitigations in place if it runs over… that would have been accounted for.”
But she did not share details of these contingency measures. Both the President and the Activities Officer sit on the UCL200 steering committee in charge of overseeing the works.
Sabbatical officers also confirmed in the meeting that there would be no graduation pictures on the Main Quad for the cohort graduating in summer 2025, disgruntling many final-year students.
The Quad will also be closed to student societies wishing to use the space, including the Balls! Juggling & Circus Society, known – among other things – for its monthly fire juggling nights on the Quad.
In another meeting, the Union confirmed that next year’s Welcome Fair will take place on Gordon Square instead of the usual Main Quad and Cloisters. It is unclear whether Gordon Square, owned by the University of London, will be accessible for bookable use by clubs and societies during the Quad closure.
The renovations will not just disrupt extracurricular student life. As both The Cheese Grater and The Observer reported, the relocation of the Object-Based Learning Laboratory and the “eviction” of the UCL Art Museum has drawn anger from staff and students alike.
UCL emeritus professor of Art History David Bindman voiced concerns about the Art Museum not being accounted for in the renovation plans despite its physical centrality to the process.
He branded the process “outrageous”, highlighting the lack of alternative space outlined for the housing and display of the invaluable artworks contained in the Museum.
The University has not provided plans for the Museum’s relocation to date.
Spearheaded by UCL in partnership with the Students’ Union, the Quad renovation works aim to provide new areas for student societies and socialisation in time for UCL’s 200th anniversary in February 2026.
But some students are sceptical of the University’s motivation for embarking on the renovation. One wrote to our Letters section, asking: “Is this project a case of pointless vanity or another attempt to conjure up a cool new thing to attract more revenue from new students?”
Others are critical of the disruptions the project will have on student life and what many see as a rushed consultation process used to justify the works.
One wrote: “Yet again, UCL has failed to consider the wider implications of their actions for students and political matters at hand.”
This article appeared in CG89
