The batch of Global Campus students that arrived in London of the 16th March went on a series of educational tours of London’s famous landmarks and top companies in order to familiarise themselves with international industry standards, and give them inspiration for their academic projects.
Their main project for the Global Campus requires them to redesign Wings café into a creative networking hub for young entrepreneurs, including upgrading the cafeteria area and adding creative spaces for contemporary office and conference room facilities. Students first went on a research tour of all cafes on Piccadilly and Leicester Square, where they observed and compared differences in café design, layout, menu, facilities and service, noting various factors that made each café unique.
The group then went to the newly opened Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, where the London Olympics were held in 2012. The tour was especially aimed at familiarizing architecture students with work by top architects. The group explored the impressive Aquatic Centre, which was designed the Pritzker Prize winning Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid, whose distinct work characterized by powerful, curving forms of elongated structures is famous around the world.
The students also attended the Urbanista Exhibition at Roca Gallery; a world leading group of companies that designs, manufactures and sells bathroom products focused on the architecture, construction and interior design of living spaces. Their artistic show gallery was designed by Hadid, inspired by water in its many forms and phases, as both an idea to make creative space and to express the company’s adaptability and openness to change and innovation.
The Urbanista exhibition displayed work by women innovators in architecture, focusing on sustainable, liveable examples of urban designs. It was held to show the ingenuity and resourcefulness needed to tackle modern city living.
Students then explored the world famous wax museum; Madame Tussauds. The wax museum was founded in the 17th century by Marie Tussaud, and currently has several branches around major cities of the world. It is one of London’s major tourist attractions, featuring lifelike wax models of 17th century aristocracy, royalty across centuries, and celebrities through time. Students learnt the creative use of space, lighting, and props to bring the models to life, a tip that will come in handy when they design a contemporary ambience of Wings café for their final project.