Imperial launches new community café and garden at White City

The Invention Rooms at White City celebrates the opening of its new community space and café with a host of free events throughout December.

The Interaction Zone is a welcoming space where the local community can take part in free hands-on activities, classes, tours, or relax over a cup of coffee alongside Imperial’s staff and students.

The flexible facilities include a community garden and outside terrace, a brand new café, and space for vibrant exhibitions, displays and events.

The Interaction Zone represents our front door – a place where local people can begin a journey with Imperial staff and students to share in the excitement of science, making and inventing Professor Maggie Dallman

The Invention Rooms, which opened last year, is a unique community and innovation space in White City, designed to inspire the next generation of inventors and entrepreneurs. It offers local people the opportunity to access workshops, cutting edge design studios and interactive spaces to help them turn their ideas into a reality.

From Monday 10^th December, a series of launch events are taking place for local neighbours and the wider College community to get help them get creative and enjoy some festive treats. These include:

• Monday 10 December, 11.00-14.00 – Make your own Christmas decorations
• Wednesday 12 December, 11.00-14.00 – Free felt making session
• Friday 19 December, 15.30-18.00 – Make your own festive wreath
• Monday 17 December, 11.00-14.00 – Make your own scribbling robot
• Wednesday 19 December, 11.00-14.00 – Twinkle Twinkle Little Card
• Friday 21 December 18:00-22:00 – Christmas Community Jigsaw Puzzle Night.

Find out more about these events and sign-up here.

Professor Maggie Dallman, OBE, Vice President (International) and Associate Provost (Academic Partnerships) at Imperial said: “Every day at White City we are seeing the importance of working in partnership with our local neighbours. Whether it be inspiring the next generation of coders, understanding the views of our neighbours about our research, or supporting community-led innovation, we aim to provide new opportunities, encourage local enterprise and enable people of whatever age or background to realise their ideas and become involved in what we do”.

“The Interaction Zone represents our front door – a place where local people can begin a journey with Imperial staff and students to share in the excitement of science, making and inventing”.

Community Café

The Invention Rooms Café serves a range of coffees, teas, cold drinks, sandwiches, pastries, salads, wraps and light meals, together with a range of seasonal specials - including Gingerbread Flat White, Crème Brûlée Latte or Mince Pie Hot Chocolate.

Opening hours for the café are 09.00 to 16.00 Monday to Friday.

The Interaction Zone is also available for room bookings for events and activities designed to engage the public around Imperial’s research of science, engineering, medicine and business.

If you would like to find out more about The Interaction Zone, or want to know more about the opening events and activities, please visit our website or get in touch with the White City Community Engagement Team on whitecity.community@imperial.ac.uk