Part of a wider environmental improvement scheme by MJP, the John Watkins Plaza was opened in 2003.

The brief called for a new convivial meeting space including hard and soft landscaping with a small café to act as a social focus. Located outside the Lionel Robbins Building, it is situated on the roof of the single storey library archive.

A new canopy provides shelter along one edge of the square and defines the space. The stainless steel roof creates a strong feature when viewed from above from the surrounding buildings.

The café is a glazed enclosure, and the servery is an oval stainless steel 'pod¹ that nestles under the canopy. The glazing which contains the seating area opens back in the summer to form a seamless continuation of the plaza.

Working with artist Bruce Allen, blue LED strips are set within the paving and combine with uplighters to light the new trees and the canopy, extending the life of the space into the evening.

Client London School of Economics
Completion June 2003
Cost £1m

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