New White City building to host entire Computing department

All teaching and research activities of the Computing Department are expected to move to the new Principal Academic Building within White City Campus. Other departments will partially relocate, including the departments of Mathematics, Chemistry, and the Imperial Business School. 

 The Principal Academic Building will begin construction in mid-2026 and is due to be completed in 2029, according to consultation materials on Imperial’s website.

The building is designed for multidisciplinary research across a variety of fields. It has been described as “a powerful engine for data science, AI and machine learning by bringing together computer scientists, mathematicians and business experts at an unprecedented scale,” as well as being designed to deliver “world-leading research for the environment, energy engineering, drug discovery, population health and security science.” 

It is planned to overtake City and Guilds as the largest building at Imperial, and its completion will increase total campus teaching space by 17%. It will contain research, study, and communal spaces across 14 floors. 

The public will have access to both the first and ground floors of the new building. The ground floor will contain a café, an exhibition area and a mezzanine. The first floor will also have a café terrace, and an open floorplan learning space.