History of the ArtBar
The Student's Union ArtBar opened in 1973, and the space was initially designed and decorated by students Ben Kelly (Interior Design) and Geoff Hollington (Design).
The next duo to leave their mark was Robin Clarke (MA Architecture) and Sarah Hawkins (MA Interior Design) in 1995, an endeavour that was co-funded by the RCA and Absolute Vodka (read more about it here).
In the early 2000's Marcus Bergstrom (MA Design Products) and Joe Nunn (MA Design Products), who graduated from the RCA in 2005 won a compeitition to re-design the ArtBar, cladding the space in gloss white ply.
In 2016/17 Christina Huber (MA Interior Design), Lucy Sanderson (MA Interior Design) and Tiphaine Dugast (MA Interior Design) helped to design the ArtBar, an effort which resulted in a dark and minimalist look using repurposed concrete, finished metal bars, and oak veneer panelling (read more about it here).
The ArtBar had its most recent development in 2023, relaunching after nearly four years of closure.