Knights Park

The Dame Elizabeth Esteve-Coll Centre at Kingston School of Art, Knights Park is central to campus, close to social spaces, the art shop, student office, and canteen. The library offers a wide range of books, journals, rare collections, DVDs, and an extensive electronic library. Study areas are zoned for silent, quiet, and group work, with power sockets and Wi-Fi available. Two group study rooms are bookable, and dual-boot Macs with specialist art and design software are available. The library also provides support for students with disabilities, including an Adaptive Technology Room with specialist software and height-adjustable tables.

We have well-equipped, dedicated studios with everything you'll need to support your work. We also provide great workshops and the latest equipment to enhance your learning experience.

3D materials workshop

Our large, open-access 3D materials workshop has been the focus of significant investment during the past year, and now features state-of-the-art equipment and an interdisciplinary construction area. The workshop enables you to work with a broad range of materials including wood, metal, stone, plastic, plaster, bio-resins, wax and ceramics. 

You will explore traditional methods of making, such as woodwork and metalwork, before progressing onto using the latest computer-aided 2D and 3D modelling equipment and programmes.

Moving image workshop

Our filming environment and animation suite house the latest technology, including:

• 100m sq filming space with 14m infinity cove and 8m professional film blue screen
• three Panasonic HVX200 hi-definition cameras
• Kino Flow lighting system controlled by a 64-channel DMX desk
• Stanton Jimi Jib with a remote head and 4m reach
• a post-production suite containing 10 Macintosh computers with 20 terabytes of storage hosting the latest editing software
• an animation suite containing four rostrum cameras running professional stop motion capture systems as used by Aardman Animation (the Oscar-winning makers of Wallace and Gromit)
• Diva light setup by Kino Flow, light boxes and additional animator-friendly equipment
• a sound recording suite, perfect for interviews, voice overs and recording music.

Photography workshop

Our professional-level photography suite has:

• two new digital darkrooms featuring high-end workstations with calibrated monitors
• quality input and output devices within a colour-managed workflow ensuring colour accuracy
• hardware including Mac Pro computers, Nec Spectraview monitors, Imacon and Nikon film scanners, A3 Epson Pro Flatbed scanners, digital card readers and Epson large format printers.

Digital media workshops

We have two newly specified open-access digital media workshop which are home to 132 iMac workstations, providing facilities for:

• 2D and 3D design
• audio and video production
• small and large format printing.

Each workstation runs Windows 7 and Macintosh OS X Lion, offering the latest design software including Adobe CS6 Masters Suite and video editing software Adobe Premiere and Avid.

Printmaking studio

The printmaking workshop accommodates several distinctive areas:

• intaglio (etching, drypoint and photo-etching)
• relief (woodcut, linocut, collagraph, monoprint and embossing)
• screenprint
• offset (autographic and photographic)
• cyanotypes
• an editing suite.

The gallery, which now forms part of the Arts Council England's national portfolio, is a public venue dedicated to the research, development, production and presentation of interdisciplinary contemporary arts practice.

The gallery works with artists, designers and students to put on a broad programme of exhibitions and events. Recent exhibitions have included Urban Landscape Photography, Characters in Search of an Author and The Tourists.

The gallery aims to engage with audiences within the University and the wider community. In addition to encouraging and assisting the development of research in the arts.

Knights Park Bar, the smallest of Kingston University's bars, has a big personality. Located next to the Hogsmill River, its charm is clear, making it a popular spot. Known as the 'alternative' venue for many students, it regularly hosts rock, indie, hip hop, drum 'n' bass, and live music events. The bar also holds student-led activities like fancy dress nights, raising money for degree shows or charity. With its friendly atmosphere, Knights Park Bar is the perfect place to relax with friends, whether indoors or on the patio.

Trains run regularly from London Waterloo to Surbiton station (10 trains per hour midweek, journey times 15–32 minutes) and to Kingston station (four trains per hour midweek, journey times 28–33 minutes). Surbiton and Kingston stations are both in Travelcard Zone 6.

From Surbiton station

• leave the railway station via the main exit
• cross the mini-roundabout to Claremont Road
• take the 71, 281, K2 or K3 bus towards Kingston
• get off at the 'Kingston Crown Court / Kingston College' stop
• cross Penrhyn Road on to Denmark Road
• turn left at the mini-roundabout, over the blue bridge
• turn right onto Grange Road, and Kingston School of Art, Knights Park is on the right

From Kingston station

• leave the railway station via the main exit
• cross the road diagonally on to Clarence Street (with the Rotunda to your left)
• keep to the left and walk past the fallen telephone boxes sculpture
• cross straight over the one-way system past Fairfield bus station along Wheatfield Way
• walk past Kingston Museum and at Kingston Library bear slightly left and walk down Fairfield West
• cross straight over at the traffic lights on to Knights Park
• Kingston School of Art, Knights Park is on your left at the end of the road

The 71, 281, K2 and K3 buses run along nearby Penrhyn Road, and the Crown Court stop is a five-minute walk away from campus along Denmark Road. We also run a free intersite bus service for students, staff and visitors. The KU2 bus stops at this campus and links the campus with the Kingston and Surbiton mainline stations, other campuses and halls of residence.

Cycle parking facilities and showers are available at this site.

We strongly recommend visitors use the excellent public transport links instead of driving.

The University has limited on-site parking facilities and prioritises staff during core working hours (Monday to Friday, 7.30am to 4.30pm). Limited visitor parking is available, but must be pre-booked through the person you are visiting, as parking enforcement measures are in operation at all sites. Parking is provided on all sites for blue badge holders and there are docking bays for electric cars.

Members of the public can pay to use the onsite parking outside of core working hours on a first come, first served basis. Physical pay-to-park facilities are installed at Penrhyn Road, together with a pay-by-phone system known as 'Parkonomy'. Pay to park facilities are also available at the Penrhyn Road campus, less than five minutes' walk from Knights Park. All car park users agree to the University’s car parking terms and conditions.