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Full view of the RGS on Exhibition Road, Kensington, London

How to find buildings and rooms

Navigate the conference venue with our step-by-step guides.

On this page you can find more information about navigating your way around the conference site, including information about how to find session buildings and rooms.

On this page

The conference site

Parallel sessions will take place at seven venues, including the RGS-IBG building on Exhibition Road, and six buildings at Imperial College London's South Kensington Campus.

The buildings at Imperial College in use for this year's conference are:

  • Blackett Laboratory
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering Building
  • Royal School of Mines
  • SALC/Sherfield Building
  • Sir Alexander Fleming Building
  • Skempton Building

Navigate the conference site using Google Maps

Sessions will take place across the seven venues throughout the conference.

Venue arrangements: a guide

The online programme and mobile guide have details of the room for each session. When viewing the programme, note the following in each of the venue names:

  • 'RGS-IBG' indicates that the room is located at the Society, which you should enter from Exhibition Road.
  • 'Imperial College London' indicates that the room is based at Imperial College London which based to the south of the Society, a short walk along Exhibition Road.

All hybrid sessions will take place in rooms at the Society.

Chair's events and the majority of the journal-sponsored keynote lectures will take place in the Ondaatje Theatre at the Society.

Exhibitors will be based in the Society Pavilion (behind the Helpdesk).

Art exhibitions will be situated in the Map Room at the Society.

Finding lunch and refreshments

Refreshments will be served in the Marquee and Main Hall at the Society, and in the Blackett and Sir Alexander Fleming Buildings at Imperial College in morning and afternoon breaks.

If you are based at the Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Sherfield or Skempton buildings, your nearest refreshment stations will be the Sir Alexander Fleming Building.

If you are based at the Royal School of Mines, your nearest refreshment stations will be either at the Society, or the Blackett Building.

Lunch will be served in the Marquee and Main Hall at the Society only.

Getting to session rooms at the RGS-IBG

Access the RGS-IBG Building via its entrance on Exhibition Road.

Use our step-by-step directions to rooms within the RGS-IBG Building below, or take a virtual tour.

Ondaatje Theatre:

  • From Registration, walk down the corridor past the Cloakroom.
  • The Ondaatje Theatre is in front of you.

Education Centre:

  • From Registration, turn right and walk down the corridor past the Cloakroom.
  • Upon reaching the Ondaatje Theatre, turn left and go up the short staircase (blue carpet).
  • At the top of the stairs, turn left and walk straight ahead, and keep going past the Sunley Room, into the Main Hall (the larger space with the wooden floor).
  • The entrances to the Education Centre are on your left.

Council Room:

  • From Registration, turn right and walk down the corridor past the Cloakroom.
  • Upon reaching the Ondaatje Theatre, turn right and walk to the stone staircase.
  • Go up the stone staircase to the first floor.
  • Go past the entrance to the Ondaatje Theatre balcony (on your right), and through the doors to a small corridor.
  • The Council Room is immediately on your left.

Director's Office:

  • From Registration, turn right and walk down the corridor past the Cloakroom.
  • Upon reaching the Ondaatje Theatre, turn right and walk to the stone staircase.
  • Go up the stone staircase to the first floor.
  • Go past the entrance to the Ondaatje Theatre balcony (on your right), and through the doors to a small corridor.
  • Walk past the Council Room on your left, and through the double doors ahead. The Director's Office is on your left.

Drayson Room:

  • From Registration, turn right and walk down the corridor past the Cloakroom.
  • Upon reaching the Ondaatje Theatre, turn left and go up the short staircase (blue carpet).
  • At the top of the stairs, walk straight ahead past the two large wall maps and the display cases.
  • The Drayson Room is at the end of the corridor (the Ambulatory) on your left.

Lowther Room:

  • From Registration, turn right and walk down the corridor past the Cloakroom.
  • Upon reaching the Ondaatje Theatre, turn left and go up the short staircase (blue carpet).
  • At the top of the stairs, turn left and walk straight ahead, and keep going past the Sunley Room, into the Main Hall (the larger space with the wooden floor).
  • Walk the length of the Main Hall to the staircase at the far end (on the left).
  • Go all the way up the stairs.
  • At the top of the stairs, turn right. The Lowther Room is in front of you.

Nightingale Meeting Room:

  • From Registration, turn right and walk down the corridor past the Cloakroom.
  • Upon reaching the Ondaatje Theatre, turn left and go up the short staircase (blue carpet).
  • At the top of the stairs, turn left and walk straight ahead, and keep going past the Sunley Room, into the Main Hall (the larger space with the wooden floor).
  • Walk the length of the Main Hall to the staircase at the far end (on the left).
  • Go all the way up the stairs.
  • At the top of the stairs, turn right, then left. The Nightingale Room is at the end of the corridor on your right.

Sunley Room:

  • From Registration, walk down the corridor past the Cloakroom.
  • Upon reaching the Ondaatje Theatre, turn left and go up the short staircase (blue carpet).
  • At the top of the stairs, turn left and walk straight ahead.
  • The Sunley Room is on your right (before you go through the doorway into the large hall with the wooden floor).

Tea Room:

  • From Registration, turn right and walk down the corridor past the Cloakroom.
  • Upon reaching the Ondaatje Theatre, turn left and go up the short staircase (blue carpet).
  • At the top of the stairs, turn left and walk straight ahead, and keep going past the Sunley Room, into the Main Hall (the larger space with the wooden floor).
  • Walk past the Education Centre on your left, then take a left at the far end of the hall. The Tea Room is through the double doors ahead.

Foyle Reading Room:

  • From Registration, take the spiral staircase on the right of the Registration desk.
  • Walk through the double glass doors ahead to reach the Foyle Reading Room.

Getting to buildings and session rooms at Imperial College London

The Blackett Laboratory and Royal School of Mines can all be accessed via Prince Consort Road.

The Electrical and Electronic Engineering Building is accessible via the main entrance to Imperial College on Exhibition Road.

The Sherfield, Sir Alexander Fleming, and Skempton buildings are all accessible via Imperial College Road.

Find step-by-step directions from the RGS-IBG building to the Imperial venues below, or navigate using Google Maps.

Navigate to Imperial College using Google Maps

Buildings marked with * after their name will have tea and coffee served in foyers during the breaks – please follow the signs to find the refreshment stations.

Links to accessibility information by AccessAble are provided for each building below.

Blackett Laboratory*:

  • Upon leaving the RGS-IBG, turn right onto Exhibition Road and walk ahead.
  • Take the first available right on to Prince Consort Road and walk ahead for about 300 metres.
  • The entrance will be on your left at the end of the road, just before you reach Queens Gate (about five minutes from RGS-IBG).
  • You enter the building on Floor 2. Session rooms are down a floor on Floor 1, as well as up the stairs or lift on Floor 6, 7 and 10.
  • Top tip: when exiting from Floor 10, take a moment to enjoy a magnificent view of central London's skyline, visible from the window at the top of the stairwell!

More information on accessing Blackett.

Electrical and Electronic Engineering Building:

  • Upon leaving the RGS-IBG building, turn right onto Exhibition Road and walk ahead. Continue past Prince Consort Road (by the small roundabout) and enter the main entrance to Imperial College (a large glass atrium) on your right.
  • Walk through the entrance and straight ahead through the Dalby courtyard.
  • You enter the building on Floor 2. Session rooms are on Floor 4 and Floor 5.

More information on accessing the Electrical and Electronic Engineering Building.

Royal School of Mines:

  • Upon leaving the RGS-IBG, turn right onto Exhibition Road and walk ahead.
  • Take the first available right on to Prince Consort Road and walk ahead for about 300 metres.
  • The entrance to RSM will be on your left between two statues (about 3 mins from RGS-IBG).
  • Session rooms are on the Ground Floor, accessible via the corridors immediately right and left of the main entrance, as well as up the stairs on Floors 1 and 3.

More information on accessing RSM.

Sir Alexander Fleming Building (SAF)*:

  • Upon leaving the RGS-IBG building, turn right onto Exhibition Road and walk ahead. Continue past Prince Consort Road (by the small roundabout) and the main entrance to Imperial College (a large glass atrium) on your right.
  • Turn right onto Imperial College Road, and walk ahead for about 150 metres.
  • The entrance to SAF will be on your left, opposite the Dangoor Plaza (formerly Queen’s Lawn) on your right (about 6 min from RGS-IBG).
  • Session rooms are on the first floor, accessible via the stairs directly in front of you and the lift (continue straight into the building and turn right to access the lift).

More information on accessing SAF.

Sherfield Building (containing SALC)*:

  • Upon leaving the RGS-IBG building, turn right onto Exhibition Road and walk ahead. Continue past Prince Consort Road (by the small roundabout) and the main entrance to Imperial College (a large glass atrium) on your right.
  • Turn right into Imperial College Road, and walk ahead for about 150 metres.
  • Follow the path diagonally across the Dangoor Plaza (formerly Queen’s Lawn) to the opposite (north west) corner. You will be at the entrance to the Sherfield Building.
  • Session rooms are in the Seminar and Learning Centre (SALC) on level 5 (about eight min from RGS-IBG).

More information on accessing Sherfield.

Skempton Building:

  • Upon leaving the RGS-IBG building, turn right onto Exhibition Road and walk ahead. Continue past Prince Consort Road (by the small roundabout) and the main entrance to Imperial College (a large glass atrium) on your right.
  • Turn right onto Imperial College Road, and walk ahead for about 130 metres.
  • The entrance to the Skempton building will be on your right (about six min from RGS-IBG).
  • Session rooms are on the Lower Ground, Ground, Floor 1 and Floor 2 accessible via the stairs directly in front of you and the lifts on the left hand side.

More information on accessing the Skempton Building.

Accessibility at conference

The following section provides some general guidance on accessibility at the conference.

  • Wheelchair spaces are available in all conference rooms, with the exception of the Director's Office and the Council Room at the Society, which are not yet wheelchair accessible.

  • At the Society, Induction loops are available in the Ondaatje Theatre and the Education Centre. Please turn your hearing aid to the T position in the Ondaatje Theatre. Please email ac2026@rgs.org if you require a hearing loop in other buildings at the Society or at the Imperial College.

  • Personal assistants can be accommodated at the conference — please contact ac2026@rgs.org if you require a personal assistant to be in attendance.

  • Registered assistance dogs are welcome.

  • An accessible toilet is available in all buildings at the conference. These will be signposted; please speak to a conference organiser at the Helpdesk for directions.

Accessibility at the RGS-IBG

The RGS-IBG building has an accessible entrance on Exhibition Road.

The following rooms at the Society are flat-level rooms (or have flat-level space for wheelchair users), and are fully accessible via either a lift or stairlift:

  • Ondaatje Theatre
  • Education Centre
  • Lowther Room
  • Drayson Room
  • Sunley Room
  • Map Room
  • Tea Room
  • Foyle Reading Room
  • Members' Room

The Main Hall is also fully accessible.

The Marquee and Terrace are also partly accessible. Please speak to a member of staff (in a blue lanyard) when using this space so we can help you access it.

The Director's Office and Council Room are not yet accessible to wheelchair users. If you have concerns about accessing these rooms, contact ac2026@rgs.org prior to the conference.

Accessibility at Imperial College

Detailed information about accessibility at Imperial College London buildings on AccessAble and on Imperial College London.

If you have any accessibility queries, please contact us at ac2026@rgs.org