Completed Projects:
2026 Transform

The biggest improvements focus on increasing space for individual and group study, introducing a more efficient system for borrowing and returning books, improving access throughout the building, and reducing our energy usage and carbon emissions.

This project completes the modernisation that was carried out across 2013-14, which involved the refurbishment of study spaces and furniture on the second to fifth floors. Now, we have given the ground and first floors major upgrades, as well as making further improvements to all floors. 

Key Improvements

• Addition of 200 extra seats to help ease overcrowding.
• Extra space to meet growing demand for group study
• New automated service to make borrowing and returning books quicker and easier.
• Bigger lifts and better access for wheelchair users
• Improved security
• Sustainable materials will cut energy usage by 40% and carbon emissions by 30% while creating a more comfortable space in which to study
• Expansion to Library café, including new outdoor dining area.

Additional details and latest news can be found at our dedicated project website.

Conveniently located within Whiteknights campus along Chancellor’s Way, the Chancellor’s Building is in easy reach of essential campus facilities, including the Library and the Students’ Union.

Construction began summer 2016, with the building ready to use for the start of the spring term 2017. The project was delivered on schedule and to budget.

As well as housing SCME for the next few years, the University aims to use it as alternative teaching space over the course of further campus improvement projects.

Key Features

• 14 teaching rooms varying from 24 seats to 150 seats
• Two teaching / research  laboratories
• A PC laboratory
• A Building Information Modelling  (BIM) lounge
• Immersive virtual reality environment ‘CAVE’
• Dedicated Resource Centre
• MSc teaching room with SCME-specific specialist teaching equipment
• Various breakout spaces and student common area.

As one of the University’s premier lecture theatres, Van Emden is striking and contemporary in design.

Several key features of the lecture theatre were improved, including capacity, access and technology. The refurbishment was completed in September 2016, in time for the start of the autumn term.

Key Features

• Increased seating capacity by 35% from 173 to 233
• New writing ledges and improved accessible seating areas
• New technology desk, audio-visual facilities and provision for lecture capture
• Improved heating, ventilation and lighting

The nightclub can accommodate many more guests now with an extended dance floor and changes to the bar area and opening of a soft drinks bar maximizing level floor space. All of which means a better experience for our students. Together with Mojo's Bar and Café Mondial and sectional seating areas, there is flexibility to hold up to three different events at the same time.

The project has been developed by Reading Students' Union, who have involved students in the designing of the project from its beginning. 

The right hand lecture theatre has been renamed in honour of Dame Julia Slingo, Visiting Professor in the Department of Meteorology, and her husband Tony; whereas the Ditchburn lecture theatre retains its name.  

The lecture theatres have new seating, lighting and audio-visual systems and automated doors for ease of access. Significant extra capacity has been gained by incorporating the projection room into the main body of each theatre. This is most noticeable in the Slingo lecture theatre where the capacity has increased from under 100 to over 170 seats.