Anglia Ruskin University - Peterborough Campus Peterborough UK 2025

ARU is an innovative global university with students from 185 countries coming to study with us. We've once again been named as one of the top 350 institutions in the world in The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2022 – and one of the top 40 universities in the UK.

Our story starts in 1858 when the art critic, patron and philanthropist John Ruskin opened the Cambridge School of Art. The art school grew to become Anglia Ruskin University, shortened to ARU, and it’s still at the heart of our modern-day campus in Cambridge.

Over the years, a number of colleges and institutes have become part of ARU. They include the Cambridgeshire College of Arts and Technology (CCAT) and the Essex Institute of Higher Education (formerly the Chelmer Institute – itself formed from the Mid-Essex Technical College and the Brentwood College of Education). At first, these colleges combined to become Anglia Polytechnic, and then Anglia Polytechnic University in 1992.

ARU Peterborough Campus
The new ARU Peterborough campus is under construction on the Embankment site, close to the city centre and transport links.

The campus will create a new high-quality space for the city and establish a strong identity for the new university in Peterborough, transforming an under-utilised concrete car park into a green, well landscaped campus which will be fully accessible to the public.

Priority has been given to pedestrian, cycle and public transport use. The university building will be approached by an extension of the existing foot and cycle paths from the city, arriving at a new forecourt that will access the main entrance.

Vehicles will access operational parking, a drop-off and accessible parking spaces by an improved existing entrance to the Wirrina car park to the east of the building. Inside there will be spaces for teaching, learning and some offices.

The building has been located to be visible from the city and to passers-by from the road and on foot. It will be three storeys high, with plenty of glass to provide good daylight and natural ventilation as well as encompassing the views of Peterborough Cathedral, from the inside and outside of the building. On the ground floor on the south side there will be a colonnade providing shelter when required as well as terrace seating. The front entrance is a main feature of the building located alongside the state-of-the-art lecture theatre. An open terrace on the second floor provides an external space with views towards the cathedral.

A colonnade to the south provides a sheltered, welcoming access. The roof has a series of distinctive pyramidal lanterns which not only give a strong, identifiable skyline in the city but, more importantly, enable it to be naturally ventilated and bring more daylight into the heart of the building.

The university building has a very open aspect to the south and west to a well-landscaped campus garden, with solar shading to help reduce energy requirements and provide a comfortable internal environment. We have a green roof to increase biodiversity and control rain-water run off rates along with photo voltaic panels to generate electricity from sunshine. Good views are provided towards the cathedral and Bishop’s Road.