Founded in 1902, the British Academy is committed to the humanities and social sciences and invests in researchers and projects across the UK and abroad through its work as scholarship. It brings together scientists, government, business and civil society to influence policy.
Its historic six-storey headquarters are at 10-11 Carlton House Terrace, overlooking the Mall. Built in 1931, it was designed by John Nash as a pair of luxurious townhouses. It was later occupied by the 19th century Prime Minister William Gladstone and served as a hospital for injured officers during the First World War under the ownership of the Ridley family. In 1998 it was the home of the British Academy.
Wright & Wright was commissioned to renovate the building’s heritage spaces so the academy could become more public-facing. The lower ground floors, historically used for clerks and staff in front of offices and warehouses, were retrofitted to complement the building’s existing spaces on its upper floors.
Here, the practice removed intermediate floors and arches and excavated to carve out three new double-height, light-filled rooms, adding 469m2 usable space. This helped increase the capacity of public events by almost 50 percent.
The scale of the new spaces has been designed to match that of the building above, but with a looser, pared down and modern feel to provide flexibility for a range of events, both hybrid and personal. The muted material palette of wood and stone provides robustness and unifies the scheme by design. “We hope you don’t see where we’ve been,” says the architect.
Existing light shafts were used to bring daylight deep into the interior. This also plays a role in the passive environmental strategy, which utilizes the underground level to conserve heat in winter. The entire building was decarbonized by introducing air-to-source heat pumps.
As part of the refurbishment of the building envelope, double glazing has been introduced for the first time in a Grade I listed setting within The Crown Estate.
The project also includes a redesigned and refurbished reception area to create a more accessible arrival and two new rooms for the academy’s fellows, while the historic core has been restored to return the original views through the building.
New flexible spaces provide new ways of presentation. Custom AV systems were installed for hybrid events. It is now also a space for the academy to display its unique collection of contemporary British art, including works by Hew Locke, Paula Rego and Yinka Shonibare.
The basement is future ready for remodeling if necessary. Floor boxes are built in that can accommodate load points.
Wright & Wright carried out extensive research on the building before planning its transformation. Over time, changes at 10-11 Carlton House Terrace took place in an organic fashion. Much of Nash’s work has been deliberately retained along with later additions, including the black marble staircase created by Detmar Blow and Fernand Billery in the early 20th century.
The British Academy renovation follows other recent Wright & Wright conservation projects, including the Lambeth Palace masterplan, the ten-year St John’s Library project in Oxford and the East London Home Museum.
The British Academy offers a range of online and in-person events, including a new seasonal program of free public talks, debates, exhibitions and events – one of the few London institutions to do so.
An architect’s view
Working with the British Academy to transform and improve its headquarters has been a journey of discovery, creativity and collaboration. We found the brief as rich and inspiring as: to create a forum for public meeting and international exchange fit for the digital age. We have sought to uncover lost layers of architectural language while discreetly and respectfully inserting some of our own, adding to the many chapters of the architectural legacy that has been inscribed at Carlton House Terrace over the centuries.
We are confident that the academy will be on a solid footing for the next episode in the organization’s impressive journey, and we look forward to the incredible work and research that will take place inside and outside the building. The new spaces are inherently more flexible and resilient to future change, and we hope they will continue to inspire the academy and all those involved in its mission.
Stephen Smith, Partner, Wright & Wright
Client view
I am delighted that we have now completed a multi-year project to transform our historic headquarters into a public home for the humanities and social sciences. Wright & Wright’s understanding and expertise in heritage buildings and educational and knowledge institutions made the practice a natural and trusted partner for this important undertaking and we are grateful to them for the tenacity and energy they put into the project, as well as for all our to the donors who made it possible. We are delighted with the result, which allows us to expand our global reach and radically transform the offer of events for the curious public. Our new building is an important step forward in the Academy’s mission to open up the humanities and social sciences for the benefit of all.
Julia Black, President of the British Academy
Project data
Start in place November 2022
Completion July 2024
Gross internal floor area 1,433 m2
Construction costs Undisclosed
Form of contract JCT 2016 Standard Construction Contract
Architect Wright & Wright Architects
The customer British Academy
Static Alan Baxter Associates
M&E consultant Skelly & Couch
Cost consultant how much
Project manager Stuart A Johnson Consulting
Audiovisual consultant Recursive digital
Chief designer Wright & Wright Architects (Safety Before Construction Act 2022)
Authorized building inspector SOCOTEC
Main contractor Construction of Borras
Inheritance consultant Alan Baxter Associates
CDM consultant CDM services
Acoustics consultant Theater projects
Furniture consultant Participate
CAD software used AutoCAD, SketchUp
Annual carbon emissions ~20 kgCO2/m2
Embodied/Total Carbon ~230 kgCO2eq/m2
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