Designed by RIBA Stirling Prize winners Grafton Architects, the new flagship building comprises ten upper floors and two basement levels, which house The Marshall Institute for Philanthropy and Social Entrepreneurship along with the academic departments of accounting, finance and management, as well as teaching facilities and new sports facilities for the Students' Union.
Situated in the southern corner of Lincoln's Inn Fields, the Marshall Building occupies a pivotal position within the LSE campus. Three entrances all provide access to the 1200 sq. metres great hall, an open plan space inviting students, visitors and staff to meet and socialise, and linking the building with the wider campus. A helical staircase connects to the teaching spaces on the first and second floor.
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To deliver the client's ambition, the team developed a complex structural solution, using large spanning concrete ‘trees’ in a cruciform arrangement. In the great hall six of these imposing 6.5 metre tall concrete trees rise from the ground floor with 28 extending branches forming a vault like ceiling. The result is a cathedral-like space, seamlessly connecting the interior with the surrounding cityscape.
The tree structure responds to the changing uses throughout the building, from large column free zones for the basement and ground floor levels to smaller column grids for the offices and teaching spaces on the upper levels.
The exposed concrete structure forms an integral part of the design and to achieve a high quality finish the team developed a bespoke off-site design and fabrication formwork. Rigorous quality control checks were undertaken to ensure the highest quality finish before the concrete was poured.
Terry Spraggett, MD Public Sector Construction at Mace, said: "The Marshall Building is the second project we’ve delivered for the LSE. We are immensely proud to be part of this journey and supporting the LSE on such an ambitious and inspiring building. The quality is a testament to the close collaboration with the client, design team and our supply chain partners. I’m excited to see the Marshall Building occupied by students and staff and becoming a vibrant place for knowledge-sharing and learning for generations to come."
