Lancaster University to build £4.7m lecture theatre

Lancaster University is to invest £4.7m in a new 400-seat lecture theatre, which will become the largest on campus.

The building will be connected to the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) on North Campus, and will also be available to host large-scale conferences.

The investment will include refurbishment of the FASS entrance, which will create a large reception area to facilitate increased footfall.

A modern ‘skywalk’ will link the FASS building and the lecture theatre, and a second ground-floor entrance will be created for ease of access. There will be an additional meeting room with breakout areas, also improving the connectivity between the buildings. Landscaping will enhance the area around John Creed Avenue and along the Spine.

Paul Morris, director of capital development and estate operations at Lancaster University, said: “The new lecture theatre will add a significant new teaching and multi-purpose, large capacity auditorium to our estate, complete with innovative digital integration."

Ian Meeks, vice president of education (2018/19) for the university's students' union, added: “Students have highlighted concerns around overcrowding on numerous occasions over the last few years; the addition of a new lecture theatre will help with this problem and allow classes, that currently double teach, to be brought back together.”

Consultation and design stages are expected to continue over the summer, with construction planned to start during Michaelmas term 2019.