UAL transforms guest flat into living student design archive
400+ students contribute 117 functional artworks to immersive residence
1From guest quarters to design showcase
UAL repurposed its 2005-era visiting professor residence at Grade II-listed Chelsea College into a functional archive. The two-bedroom Atterbury Flat now displays 117 purchased works from 400+ students across 58 courses. Unlike UAL's traditional fine art collection focused on 2D works, this living archive incorporates furniture, ceramics, and functional objects. Highlights include a 160kg paper coffee table and color-changing chair from graduate shows. 92% of the £61,686 budget went directly to student creators.
2Industry veterans meet emerging talent
The archive blends conceptual student pieces with commercial products from alumni-founded brands like Blackmarket (refillable soap) and Tiipoi (river clay cookware). Ceramicist Emma Louise Payne created gradient-green bathroom tiles specifically for the space, while designer Neha Ratanchand contributed a giant guestbook pencil. This mix demonstrates UAL's cross-generational design ecosystem, where student experiments coexist with market-tested products from graduates who've launched successful companies.
3Curatorial philosophy of radical trust
Lecturer Zoë Tynan-Campbell challenged institutional collection biases by asking 'Why only value fine art?' The project intentionally acquired narrative-rich objects from all disciplines, using existing space creatively rather than building new facilities. As co-curators, recent graduates Abigail Rigby and Bhairavi Yogasivam helped bridge academic and professional perspectives. The team adapted their color palette from multidisciplinary designer Molly Cook's photographic study methodology, hanging her reference print in the kitchen.
4Functional art meets hospitality
During London Design Festival (12-20 Sept), visitors experienced the archive firsthand - testing Nora Hinsch's mismatched door handles, sipping from John Robertson's architecturally precise mugs, and sleeping under Yichun Lu's 3D-printed botanical lamps. The space maintains its original hosting function while showcasing replaceable design elements. Ordinary items like scissors and tea towels received creative reinterpretations, though some original furniture remains temporarily, awaiting student-designed replacements.
5New model for academic archives
Tynan-Campbell believes this is the first university residence doubling as a design archive. The project demonstrates how institutions can leverage existing spaces to support emerging creators financially and professionally. With 91.98% of funds going directly to students, it sets a benchmark for equitable compensation in academic commissioning. The living archive will continue evolving, with new works rotating in annually to keep the collection dynamic and representative of current student output across all disciplines.