Goldsmiths College (Lewisham)
Brief Description
Goldsmiths College was formerly the Royal Naval School, which was opened by Prince Albert in 1843. It was built by John Shaw the Younger in 1843-45 who also designed the chapel in 1853. In 1891 the Goldsmiths' Company purchased the building and founded its own Technical and Recreative Institute here. In 1904 the site and its buildings were presented to the University of London. It was badly bombed in WWII. The campus buildings are set within grounds that have one main green space, College Green, a rectangular lawn with the rear of the Richard Hoggart Building on the north-east side, and new buildings to the west and south-west, down to tennis courts.
Practical Information
- Previous / Other name:
- The Goldsmith's Company's Technical and Recreative Institute
- Site location:
- Lewisham Way, New Cross
- Postcode:
- SE14
- What 3 Words:
- lazy.river.issue
- Type of site:
- Institutional Grounds
- Borough:
- Lewisham
- Open to public?
- Yes
- Opening times:
- private
- Special conditions:
- Facilities:
- Events:
- Public transport:
- Rail/London Overground: New Cross, New Cross Gate
- Research updated:
- 20/02/2023
- Last minor changes:
- 27/03/2023
Please check with the site owner or manager for latest news. www.gold.ac.uk
Full Site Description
The Royal Naval School began as a school for the sons of 'impecunious naval officers', which had been founded in Camberwell in 1833 before moving to New Cross, where it remained until 1889 then moving again to Chislehurst. The Goldsmiths' Company had received its first charter in 1327 and became one of the wealthiest and most powerful of the city livery companies. The new Goldsmiths College provided courses for students preparing for external degrees in engineering and science at the University of London, and also ran art and music classes. A south block was added to the main building by Sir Reginald Blomfield, which is now named the Richard Hoggart Building after Professor Richard Hoggart, who was warden at Goldsmiths. This overlooks College Green, which has six large plane trees and a number of horse chestnuts around the perimeter, with recent planting of commemorative trees. In the north-east corner is a modern raised garden with C19th urns and other architectural fragments. The botanical gardens of the former Biology Department in St James Street at one time contained rare trees, shrubs and perennials, but was closed in the 1960s.
In 2010 the New Academic Building was opened at the top of College Green, housing Goldsmiths' Department of Media and Communications in a single purpose-built space. The project was undertaken by construction company Willmott Dixon, working with architect Stride Treglown, and was designed with environmentally friendly features, such as bat and bird boxes, as well as the latest technology and equipment for students. In November 2014, the New Academic Building was renamed in honour of Professor Stuart Hall, the leading left-wing academic who pioneered cultural studies as a scholastic discipline and led Britain’s first centre for cultural studies at Birmingham University.
The Richard Hoggart Building is set behind a wide forecourt fronted by railings onto Lewisham Way, with an area of planting to the left of the main entrance in which a stone tablet commemorates the severe damage to the college in World War II and its restoration under the auspices of Arthur Edis Dean, Warden from 1927-50. Within the main building is The Quad, an internal courtyard landscaped with an area of lawn and of paving with seating, overlooked by the cafe. Set in the grass is a Portland and Hornton stone sculpture by Michael Kenny RA (1941-1999) entitled 'Water and Wine', who taught at Goldsmiths for over 20 years and was Head of Fine Art 1983-88.
Sources consulted:
corr. N Mahoney to D Lambert 1992 re botanical department; Bridget Cherry & Nikolaus Pevsner, The Buildings of England: London 2: South (Penguin) 1999; Ben Weinreb & Christopher Hibbert, 'The London Encyclopaedia' (Macmillan, revised ed. 1993). https://www.eastlondonlines.co.uk/2014/11/goldsmiths-renames-building-in-honour-of-academic-pioneer-stuart-hall-he-loved-the-spirit-of-this-place/
Further Information (Planning and Conservation)
- Grid ref:
- TQ365768 (536550,176850)
- Size in hectares:
- 5.67
- Site ownership:
- University of London Goldsmiths College
- Site management:
- University of London Goldsmiths College
- Date(s):
- 1843
- Designer(s):
- Listed structures:
- LBII: Main building
- On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens:
No- Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965:
No- Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931:
No
Local Authority Data
The information below is taken from the relevant Local Authority's planning legislation, which was correct at the time of research but may have been amended in the interim. Please check with the Local Authority for latest planning information.
- On Local List:
- No
- In Conservation Area:
- No
- Tree Preservation Order:
- Not known
- Nature Conservation Area:
- No
- Green Belt:
- No
- Metropolitan Open Land:
- No
- Special Policy Area:
- Yes - Area of Archaeological Priority
- Other LA designation:
- Urban Green Space
Photos
Goldsmiths College, historic and more recent buildings overlooking College Green, February 2012. Photograph Sally Williams
Click a photo to enlarge.
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.