Ramsay Hall
Encyclopedia
Ramsay Hall is a building located in London
, England
, used primarily as a hall of residence
for students of University College London
. It contains around 450 bedrooms, a dining hall and a number of common rooms and surrounds a central courtyard.
, on the border of Fitzrovia
and Bloomsbury
around a hundred metres from Tottenham Court Road
. The building is located within the Bloomsbury Conservation Area. It occupies the same block as, and forms a single unified building with, the YMCA
Indian Student Hostel designed by Ralph Tubbs
and was constructed at the same time.
There are numerous images of the building in the Courtauld Institute of Art
's Conway Collection.
and constructed between 1951 and 1954. In 2008 the building received a major refurbishment and an 8 storey extension containing 91 rooms was added, at a total cost of £8 million. The architects for the project were Levitt Bernstein
and it won a Camden Building Excellence Award in 2009. The new extension was subsequently awarded a BREEAM
'very good' rating. In 2010 a further 10 bedrooms were added to the builiding.
(Guy Berryman
, Jonny Buckland
, Will Champion
, and Chris Martin
), who met whilst living there.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, used primarily as a hall of residence
Dormitory
A dormitory, often shortened to dorm, in the United States is a residence hall consisting of sleeping quarters or entire buildings primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people, often boarding school, college or university students...
for students of University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
. It contains around 450 bedrooms, a dining hall and a number of common rooms and surrounds a central courtyard.
Overview
Ramsay Hall is situated on Maple Street in central LondonCentral London
Central London is the innermost part of London, England. There is no official or commonly accepted definition of its area, but its characteristics are understood to include a high density built environment, high land values, an elevated daytime population and a concentration of regionally,...
, on the border of Fitzrovia
Fitzrovia
Fitzrovia is a neighbourhood in central London, near London's West End lying partly in the London Borough of Camden and partly in the City of Westminster ; and situated between Marylebone and Bloomsbury and north of Soho. It is characterised by its mixed-use of residential, business, retail,...
and Bloomsbury
Bloomsbury
-Places:* Bloomsbury is an area in central London.* Bloomsbury , related local government unit* Bloomsbury, New Jersey, New Jersey, USA* Bloomsbury , listed on the NRHP in Maryland...
around a hundred metres from Tottenham Court Road
Tottenham Court Road
Tottenham Court Road is a major road in central London, United Kingdom, running from St Giles Circus north to Euston Road, near the border of the City of Westminster and the London Borough of Camden, a distance of about three-quarters of a mile...
. The building is located within the Bloomsbury Conservation Area. It occupies the same block as, and forms a single unified building with, the YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
Indian Student Hostel designed by Ralph Tubbs
Ralph Tubbs
Ralph Tubbs, OBE, FRIBA was a British architect. Well known amongst the buildings he designed was the Dome of Discovery at the successful Festival of Britain on the South Bank in London in 1951....
and was constructed at the same time.
There are numerous images of the building in the Courtauld Institute of Art
Courtauld Institute of Art
The Courtauld Institute of Art is a self-governing college of the University of London specialising in the study of the history of art. The Courtauld is one of the premier centres for the teaching of art history in the world; it was the only History of Art department in the UK to be awarded a top...
's Conway Collection.
History
Ramsay Hall was designed by Maxwell FryMaxwell Fry
Edwin Maxwell Fry, CBE, RA, FRIBA, FRTPI, known as Maxwell Fry , was an English modernist architect of the middle and late 20th century, known for his buildings in Britain, Africa and India....
and constructed between 1951 and 1954. In 2008 the building received a major refurbishment and an 8 storey extension containing 91 rooms was added, at a total cost of £8 million. The architects for the project were Levitt Bernstein
Levitt Bernstein
Levitt Bernstein Associates is an English architectural design firm, established in 1968, by David Levitt and David Bernstein. The practice is known for its residential and arts projects, having won awards for both...
and it won a Camden Building Excellence Award in 2009. The new extension was subsequently awarded a BREEAM
BREEAM
BRE Environmental Assessment Method is a voluntary measurement rating for green buildings that was established in the UK by the Building Research Establishment . Since its inception it has since grown in scope and geographically, being exported in various guises across the globe...
'very good' rating. In 2010 a further 10 bedrooms were added to the builiding.
Notable residents
Notable former residents of Ramsay Hall include all four members of the British band ColdplayColdplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
(Guy Berryman
Guy Berryman
Guy Rupert Berryman is a Scottish musician known as the bassist for the groups Coldplay and Apparatjik. Berryman is left-handed but chooses to play the bass right-handed.-Coldplay:...
, Jonny Buckland
Jonny Buckland
Jonathan Mark "Jonny" Buckland is an English guitarist and musician, best known as the lead guitarist of the band Coldplay.-Early life:...
, Will Champion
Will Champion
William "Will" Champion is an English musician and the drummer of rock band Coldplay.-Early life:William Champion was born in Southampton, Hampshire, England, and was brought up in Highfield, Southampton, where his father, Timothy Champion, is a professor of archaeology...
, and Chris Martin
Chris Martin
Christopher Anthony John "Chris" Martin is an English song-writer, who is the lead vocalist, pianist and rhythm guitarist of the band Coldplay. He is married to actress Gwyneth Paltrow.-Early life:...
), who met whilst living there.