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The University of Exeter has opened the Forum, a new development at the University's Streatham Campus in South London, UK, which involved a capital outlay of £48 million ($77.33 million).

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Designed by Wilkinson Eyre Architects and built by Sir Robert McAlpine, the Forum offers space for both formal and informal performance spaces. It houses a new Student Services Centre, an extended and refurbished library, new technology-rich learning spaces, a 400-seat lecture theatre, retail and catering outlets. It also houses a landscaped piazza and a new University reception.

The Forum also has a unique space called the Forum Plinth, inspired by the Fourth Plinth. The Forum Plinth will offer space for both temporary art commissions as well as will serve as a student soap box during guild elections.

The centrepiece of the Forum is its Alexander Beleschenko designed architectural glass art work. The new reception area of the University built within the Forum is a new home for the Figure, which formerly adorned the Northcott Theatre. The felled lime tree, which originally occupied the corner of Stocker Road by the Main Library, has been relocated to the Forum and has been turned into a tree seat sculpture by Nigel Ross.

The building was developed with minimum impact to nature. The team, at maximum possible places, used Green Guide ‘A’ rated materials. All through the construction, emphasis was laid on construction material re-usage and recycling.

The development's fabric and glazing offers 10% higher thermal performance than that required by building regulation standards. This translates into lesser consumption of energy and reduced emission of carbon dioxide. The Forum, to promote sustainable modes of transportation, features over a hundred extra cycle spaces, as well as showers and lockers. The new piazzas are also focused on pedestrian traffic.