Octagon (building)

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The Octagon Building is a term used for the whole of the Main Building of the University College London, found at Gower Street, London, but more appropriately for a central part of it. It was designed over several centuries and its centrepiece, an ornate dome, is visible throughout the immediate area.

The Octagon was designed by the Architect William Wilkins, who also designed the National Gallery. The Main Building however was not finally finished until 1985 with a formal opening ceremony by Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.

The Octagon dome houses the central hall of the University Main Library, which contains casts from the John Flaxman casts-collection and a mural depicting the construction of UCL in a mythical scene with Jeremy Bentham overlooking the plans.

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