The University of Central Lancashire’s (UCLan) new £60 million Student Centre and University Square has been handed over by the key contractors who have delivered the project.

Following more than 100 weeks of major construction work, the University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Graham Baldwin, was presented with a symbolic key as he was joined for an official photograph by representatives from AECOM, Bowmer + Kirkland, BDP and Hawkins\Brown, all of whom have played key roles  in the design and build of the landmark development.

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Now open, the University Square will become the focal point of UCLan’s Preston Campus.

Read more: UCLan project aims to inject enterprise and innovation into all areas of the institution

Featuring Wi-Fi and plenty of seating, Preston’s first public square for 70 years will be a place for students and local communities to come together and enjoy various University and public events.

Measuring 5,000 sqm, the University Square will play host to its first event in September when UCLan welcomes students and their families as they celebrate their graduations.

At night, the area will celebrate the city’s proud heritage with motion sensitive ‘light threads’, symbolising cotton strands, embedded into the natural stone granite paving, creating a stunning illuminated pathway and guiding visitors from the Square, through the Student Centre and into the main campus.

The new Student Centre is a 7,304 sqm facility including a spectacular rooftop terrace, informal learning spaces and a student wellbeing support centre.

Work to install internal fixtures and fittings is progressing and the Centre will be ready to welcome students towards the end of September.

Read more: Preston to host series of free ‘Get Stuck In’ holiday clubs this summer

UCLan Vice-Chancellor Professor Graham Baldwin said: “This is such a proud moment for the University, for Preston and for everyone connected with this much-anticipated and highly complex project which has been delivered within budget despite unprecedented worldwide circumstances. 

“Our new Student Centre represents a superb new ‘front door’ for the University and underlines our commitment to continually enhancing our students’ experience. Work is continuing to complete the building’s interior and we are on schedule to officially open the doors for the first time when our students arrive for the start of the new term.”

The new development is the culmination of UCLan’s Masterplan project, launched in 2015, which set out a vision to create a state-of-the-art, sustainable campus for students, staff, visitors and communities for years to come.

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