Find out about our campus atmosphere, locations and general environment.

Imperial College has two teaching campuses: South Kensington and Hammersmith. Imperial has over 19,000 post- and undergraduate students from a wide variety of different backgrounds and cultures, and we employ approximately 9000 members of academic and administrative staff. This means that campus can be very busy at times. However, there is also always somewhere quiet to go if you need a break or want to work alone. It may seem overwhelming to start with, as you will need to find your way around and learn where things are. However, there are a number of services to help with this.

South Kensington 

The main campus is situated in South Kensington, which is where you can find a bell tower called the Queens Tower which is a central campus feature that can be found on the Queen’s Lawn. This is a nice place to sit outside on a sunny day and marks a central feature that can help you find your way around. The South Kensington campus is close to a number of exciting London attractions, including the Science and Natural History museums and the Royal Albert Hall.

Most of your teaching will take place at the South Kensington campus, in seminar rooms and lecture theatres across the different buildings. You can check the location and how to recognise different buildings here. You can also see directions to commonly used teaching rooms here. You will be given a timetable for your classes and if you have any questions on how to find a building or room, you should email your teacher in advance and they will be happy to help you.

The large Central Library is at South Kensington, which is open 24 hours a day and is much more than a place to find books. There are areas for you to study silently, alone, in groups and areas where phones are allowed. You can book private rooms to work by clicking here.  There is also a large library café, where you can take a break and get something to eat and drink. You can find more detail on the different sections of the library here.

There are number of other cafés to buy food and on Tuesdays, a farmers market is held by the Queen’s Lawn, where fresh street food  can be purchased.

You can see a map of the South Kensington campus map here.

Hammersmith Hospital Campus  

The second campus, where (depending on your course) you may have classes or lab sessions, and where other events such as conferences are held, is situated by Hammersmith Hospital. This is near to the large Westfield shopping centre in Shepherds Bush.

There is also a library here, where you can find books, study, print work and use the internet. You can also find a number of places to eat, such as the Ex Libris Café, next to the library, and the Wolfson Café in the Wolfson building.

Across both campuses, you will need to use your ID card to gain access to buildings and rooms. If you forget or lose your ID card, you will need to contact the security office in South Kensington. You can see how to do that by clicking here. You should report a lost card immediately so it can be deactivated to make sure no one is using it fraudulently. The first time this happens, we can replace it for free. Any time afterwards, you’ll be charged £10.

A helpful service that runs for free is a shuttle bus that will take you between the South Kensington and Hammersmith campuses (or vice versa). The bus runs on specific term-time or holiday schedule, and you can find details of where to board the bus and this timetable here. All you have to do is wait at the bus stop at the correct time and show your college ID to the driver as your board the bus.

The campus is bigger than you might be used to at School or College and getting lost is common for new students and when timetables change. Becoming familiar with key buildings and locations may help you to prepare.

It is a good idea to have a look at your timetable before you need to attend a class and look up where you have to go in advance.

You can check the location and how to recognise different buildings here. You can also see directions to commonly used teaching rooms.

• Make the most of Welcome Week and explore the campuses to start finding your way around
• Attend campus tours to familiarise yourself with the main buildings, location of services and places to eat