AHMM shortlisted for LSE’s Bankside House redevelopment design competition 29.01.24

AHMM has been named as one of the six finalists competing to redevelop Bankside House in Southwark London for leading university London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), alongside their development partners, a consortium of Bouygues UK and Equitix. The other finalists include Allies and Morrison, Carmody Groarke and Sheppard Robson, COBE and TP Bennett, RSHP with Tigg Coll, and SOM (Skidmore, Owings and Merrill).

Plans for the new Bankside House include a significant increase in accommodation of up to 2,000 beds, making the site LSE’s largest student residence. The redevelopment will support the institution in its aim to offer bed space to every first-year student from 2030. The brief stipulates not only adding more rooms in the scheme, which neighbours the Tate Modern, but delivering an exemplary piece of civic architecture. It prioritises being affordable for all LSE students, alongside a focus on environmental sustainability, health and wellbeing and the offer of an outstanding student experience.

Equitix and Bouygues UK undertook a prequalifying exercise with a mutually agreed longlist of architects in later 2023 during their successful tender, and will work with LSE to maximise the potential of the site and prepare a planning application for submission to the London Borough of Southwark in 2025.

The competition is due to commence in late January 2024, with a core team in place by April 2024 and construction expected to start on site in 2026. Completion is earmarked for 2030, ready for the students to move into at the start of the academic year.

Julian Robinson, Director of Estates, LSE commented “This location will require a piece of world class architecture which will meet the ambitions of both LSE and Southwark. The calibre of this shortlist is a testament to each studio’s exceptional design and delivery standards – each in their own design language.”