London College of Printing is Printing no more

It claims the new name will provide a more accurate description of its activities. Printing now takes up only 10 per cent of the College’s business, whereby 15 years ago it constituted over 60 per cent. The college offers courses ranging from media and graphic design to marketing and publishing.

According to a report in the UK magazine Print Week the new name, which will take effect next year, was announced at the opening ceremony of the college’s new $70 million facility at the Elephant & Castle.

It was “a logical and perhaps inescapable transformation from our past,” said head of college Dr Will Bridge. But he stressed that the college was “not losing our inky fingered roots altogether. Printing remains a key part of the communications industries and this college will remain its champion,” he said.

The new identity will come into force when the London Institute, of which the college is a part, gains its university status in late spring 2004. The Institute will then become known as the University of the Arts, London.

LCP commissioned architects Allies & Morrison to carry out the combined rebuild and new-build at the Elephant & Castle in 1998. The project involved the construction of two new buildings, a specialist studio and workshop block to allow for the relocation of the media facilities from Clerkenwell, and a new “Street” building which extends to provide a striking, contemporary entrance to the college.