In 1892 the newly formed Borough of West Ham decided to establish a technical institute to serve the local community.

[1] Designed by Gibson and Russell in the Renaissance Revival architecture style, with added carving introduced by the foreman of construction W.B.

[1] The Institute it established its own internal degree courses in science and engineering, which were ratified by the University of London.

A "new university", the UEL's history of founding institutions exemplify the developments that took place in British further and higher education policy throughout the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Operating in partnership with the National Health Service, the centre is London's only provider of podiatric education.

Building began on site in July 2011 and is scheduled for completion in summer 2013, with the first students admitted for the academic year 2013/14.

[12] In 2011 UEL appointed Make Architects to lead on the design of a new, replacement library at the Stratford Campus.