Bloomsbury campus in Term 1: changes to UCL spaces for the coming year
A summary of the changes to UCL spaces for Term 1.
Source: UCL Imagestore
For those who are in London for Term 1 this academic year, the run-up to term has brought a degree of uncertainty, not only with regards to academic matters, such as how borrowing books and attending lectures will work, but also concerning access to campus and other spaces which have figured prominently in student life at UCL. This week, Pi Media investigates the various changes which have been made to campus spaces for the pandemic.
Campus
To reduce the spread of coronavirus, UCL has introduced a system of colour-coded zones. The Green Zone’s main entrance is on Gower Street, and it contains some of the best-known sites on the Bloomsbury campus, such as the Main Quad and Main Library. It can also be accessed internally from the Blue Zone, which opens onto Gordon Square, and lies in the middle of the Red and Green Zones. The Red Zone is accessible from the Blue Zone, and also from Torrington Place.
To manage footfall, a one-way system has been put in place. On entering the campus through any of the external entrances, the pathways are split in half for people to walk in each direction, and students can only cross from one zone into another at certain designated points.
Libraries
UCL’s libraries will remain open for Term 1, both for studying and taking out books. To study there, you can book a study space through the online system, and then show the library staff the booking receipt email on arriving at the library to find your space.
The process for borrowing books is similar. You can “Request” a book on UCL’s online library system, Explore, and the library will send you an automatic notification email when the book is ready for collection (usually within one working day). When you arrive to collect the book, you can show the collection receipt email to the library staff, and you will be directed to the library’s collection point. At the collection point, there will be a shelf with books alphabetically arranged according the surname of the person who requested the book, and a book can then be checked out using the self-issue machine in the usual way.
A map of UCL’s Bloomsbury Campus
Bars and Cafés
Gordon’s Café: your morning stop for paninis and a fresh coffee. Open for takeaway only.
Print Room Café: tucked away neatly in a particularly pretty area of Campus on the border between the Red Zone and the Blue Zone, the Print Room Café is open for takeaway and for those who wish to sit outside.
Bloomsbury Café: located in the same building as the student gym, Bloomsbury Fitness, Bloomsbury Café is the perfect place to grab a coffee or sandwich after a workout. Open for takeaway only.
Institute Bar: the go-to evening bar for cocktails, pizza and pool. Open Monday to Friday both for sitting in, and outdoors on the terrace.
Phineas: a spacious bar, ideal for a meetup with a cold drink on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. Temporarily closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Bloomsbury Fitness: the UCL student gym has made some adaptations to how it operates this year.
It has implemented additional cleaning rotas, a one-way system, social distancing, and installed hand sanitiser stations around the gym. Members are asked to wipe down equipment before and after use with cleaning products the gym has provided. At reception, they are asked to respect social distancing, and, since the gym has gone cashless, it would be best to bring along a card for any payments.
It has a booking system via the Bloomsbury Fitness app, which is free to download, where you can sign up for gym sessions. It offers gym sessions of various durations from 45 to 90 minutes to manage gym floor capacity. Its Women’s Only sessions are still running, from the start of term on September 28 they will run on a Wednesday morning 7:30 to 9:30 and Sunday evenings 19:15 to 21:15.
For the time being, the class timetable has been suspended. This is being monitored closely, and will be reassessed as needed to get these facilities up and running when it is safe to do so. You can see up-to-date information on the website and its FAQ page.
Bloomsbury Fitness’ squash courts will be open from the start of term, and guidance can be found on the website.
Members can use lockers, but the changing rooms and shower facilities are closed for now, so come prepared in gym clothes for your session and leave straight after.
Overall, UCL has worked hard to keep most of its campus spaces open for the coming year, even if this has meant opening them at a reduced capacity. The changes implemented strike a balance between protecting the safety of students and staff and maintaining UCL Campus life, and will help students make the most of their time at UCL during this time of uncertainty.