The future of a historic shop on the London School of Economics campus that may have once inspired Charles Dickens is set to be decided by a ¡°Dragons¡¯ Den-style¡± competition.

Thought to have been built in the 17th?century, the Old Curiosity Shop was originally a dairy but has had many uses over the years, including a bookstore for the works of the London author.

The grade II-listed building, located on 13-14 Portsmouth Street, shares a name with Dickens¡¯ 1841 novel, although historians dispute whether it was his inspiration.

The?shop has been owned by LSE since 2018, and LSE Generate, the institution¡¯s start-up hub, is hosting a Dragons¡¯ Den-style competition, similar to the popular BBC TV show, to find it new tenants.

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The organisation is who might need financial backing, mentorship or advice.

A panel of judges are particularly looking for projects?that include a ¡°compelling, engaging, fun retail offer¡± that contributes to a ¡°village feel¡± in the pedestrianised area.

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Applications should also include at least one current LSE student or recent graduate involved in a meaningful way with the business, and ideally make reference to LSE¡¯s history, community or social impact.

Laura-Jane Silverman, the creator and director of LSE Generate, said that both history and innovation were important in the final decision.

¡°I think it¡¯s so important to honour that path, but at the same time being quite innovative and creative with our space to bring those two worlds together,¡± she told 51³Ô¹Ï.

The shop has been renovated and restored in recent years and was awarded RICS winner in the heritage project category last year. It survived the Great Fire of London and the Blitz, and has been visited by many famous names, including Louisa May Alcott, author of Little Women, throughout its history.

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¡°It¡¯s something that looks very, very different from everywhere else on campus. It feels like you¡¯ve gone back in time when you walk past it,¡± said Silverman.

¡°It¡¯s this timber-beamed old cottage, and it¡¯s really, really special, so I think we want to pay homage to its history and ensure that we¡¯re respecting that.¡±

She said that the open competition-style format could be used by other universities across the country?that were trying to decide what to do with their heritage spaces.

¡°It¡¯s a really cool idea because you¡¯re basically giving a lot more power to the students, and it¡¯s just another way of engaging big bureaucratic institutions with their students and showing that they care about how they want their campus to look.

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¡°These are really heavily logistical democratic decisions¡­so the fact that we¡¯ve been able to get the green light is a massive achievement.¡±

The ¡°Dragons¡± involved will include Ricky Burdett, professor of urban studies at LSE, Alice Mayor, founder of a number of London-based retail platforms, and others still to be announced.

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patrick.jack@timeshighereducation.com