When London South Bank University (LSBU) opened its hulking centerpiece building in 1976, a long review in an architectural journal identified numerous shortcomings, but concluded on a positive note: “It is a building which could be loved.” That proved too optimistic. Neither students, faculty, nor neighbors developed much affection for its blank, unfriendly facades, its disorienting and claustrophobic interior, its “spartan” finishes and frigid climate. “People said it was like a prison,” says university librarian Alison Chojna.

Changing that perception was a central aim of a comprehensive renovation by WilkinsonEyre, which also set out to improve dismal energy performance and to better support current approaches to learning. Many of LSBU’s 21,000 students also have jobs and don’t mix much outside class, says Chojna, while others come from disadvantaged backgrounds and might lack confidence. “It was vital that the building should engender a sense of belonging—a home away from home.”