Our campus and local area
Currently reading: Our main building
Learn where business, technology, and creativity meet
We are located in the Design District, where ambitious businesses, emerging technologies, and creative industries connect. Thanks to its eco-friendly design and dazzling good looks, the Ravensbourne main building swiftly won the RIBA award for best Higher Education building in 2011.
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The iconic R1 building designed to spark innovation.
The vibrant Peninsula featuring the O2 and our R1 building.
The perfect spot to take selfies and unwind with a view.
The futuristic R2 building within the Design District.
Inspiring views of the Thames and cable cars on our doorstep.
BBC truck at Ravensbourne live in action.
Incredible views from our rooftop terrace in Ravensbourne's R1 building.
Thanks to its eco-friendly design and dazzling good looks, the Ravensbourne main building swiftly won the RIBA award for best Higher Education building in 2011.
Designed by Farshid Moussavi from the acclaimed Foreign Office Architects in 2010, our building has been hailed as a masterclass in functional design and public art by RIBA magazine.
Holding its own against the iconic O2 arena, it is swathed in different coloured, tessellated aluminium tiles and circular windows of different sizes. Together, they create a sense of movement, reflecting our boundless creativity, diversity, experimental nature and our focus on the blend of technology, innovation and creativity.
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This variety of formal and informal learning spaces, together with the flexible studio spaces, have provided Ravensbourne with a 21st century learning environment which is no longer focused on the teacher-centred paradigm but a learner-centred paradigm.”
Inside Ravensbourne
Equally impressive inside, the building is arranged around a vast, sweeping atrium, the building is made up of four interconnected storeys, split floors and open-studio learning.
It was designed to encourage collaboration between the different disciplines and practices within Ravensbourne, and to stimulate the work of innovative professionals and creative collaboration.
Featuring a variety of workspaces, including social and quiet areas, high-tech creative suites, technology hubs, design studios and more, it has:
- an area of 17,000m2 to house 1,400 students in inter-disciplinary, open-plan work spaces
- a £16m industry-standard high-definition digital broadcast facility
- two floors of the latest technology for 2D and 3D printing
- cafe and retail space on the lower ground floor.
Collaborate with cutting edge kit
Innovation is enabled by world-class campus facilities, highlighted through our annual Student Showcases and the Centre of Excellence in Emerging Technology (CEET).
Aerial view of Ravensbourne University campus's auditorium
Library at Ravensbourne
The Ravensbourne University library has a large collection of print, online and multimedia resources available for staff and students to use.
Students using motion capture computing tech for 2025 Degree Show
Students using green screen in CEET space
Editing and post-production facilities
Legal revolving door on campus
R3 study space
Ravensbourne students in R3 study space
Our local area
Our home is the Greenwich Peninsula - one of London’s biggest ongoing regeneration projects, with around 17,500 new homes planned and roughly 40% already built. That means our students get a front-row seat to a part of London that’s quite literally being designed in real time, right alongside the Thames.
Right in the middle of London’s dynamic Design District
We enjoy a prime location right next to the iconic O2, placing our students at the heart of one of London's most vibrant hubs of innovation and creativity. With the usual discounts and big-name gigs, students can enjoy easy access to world-class concerts, restaurants, cafés, shops, and leisure facilities, creating an exciting environment both inside and outside the classroom. It also hosts major business events, conferences, and corporate functions - ideal for networking opportunities and connecting with industry knowledge.
Just next door is the Design District - London’s first purpose-built home for creative, business and technology industry players, now housing over 170 of them. It’s the kind of place our students end up doing placements, internships and, eventually, jobs. Grab lunch at Canteen Food Hall & Bar, browse the rotating exhibitions at NOW Gallery, or check out Bureau, a members’ club built specifically for the creative industries.
Coming soon*: Secret Cinema - globally known for transforming films and TV shows into fully immersive worlds - is planning its first ever permanent home on the riverside here, due to open in late 2026, right next to the Troubadour Theatre. After 18 years of pop-up productions around the world, it’s choosing our neighbourhood as its long-term base, with a world-premiere Disney production planned for early 2027. There’s also the Amphitheatre, an outdoor venue for theatre, music and open-air cinema screenings throughout the year.
*Subject to planning permission.
For something quieter, walk five minutes to the Ecology Park, a wetland nature reserve tucked along the riverbank that most visitors to the O2 never find.
Industry collaboration on campus
Our dynamic campus space is ideally suited to hosting interdisciplinary events, letting you connect with industry knowledge
Recent events have invited guests like the CEO of the Chartered Management Institute and the director responsible for some of Beyoncé’s most recognisable music videos.
In Pursuit of Luxury event with industry experts
In Pursuit of Luxury is a research project which organises international conferences that bring together academics, creative and business leaders.
At the industry event pictured above, academics from across the creative, business and technology areas of Ravensbourne discussed key issues tied to our Luxury Brand Management course.
Ravensbourne CMI launch event
A recent event to celebrate our CMI partnership was chaired by our Vice Chancellor Jon Kingsbury - the panel brought together four influential voices shaping the future of leadership and innovation: Ann Francke OBE, CEO of the Chartered Management Institute; Lisa Opie, Chair of the Board of Governors; Les Binet, Visiting Professor at Ravensbourne; and Annie Brown, leadership specialist at Brand Finance.
The event offered students, staff and industry guests a rare opportunity to hear directly from leaders at the forefront of creative, technological and business transformation.
Jake Nava interviewed by Ravensbourne students
Internationally renowned music video and commercial director recently Jake Nava gave a talk and creative demonstration to third-year students on our Digital Film Production BA (Hons) course in our R1 space.
He is best known for directing Beyoncé’s most iconic music videos, including ‘Crazy in Love’ and the globally influential ‘Single Ladies’.
Louise Gadd
Ravensbourne had always stood out as a hub for innovation and technology. The location of the campus was very appealing and the building itself very inspiring. It’s a perfect space to socialise and integrate”
