acland burghley school assembly hall will house the museum
An aged landmark of British Brutalism is set to be revitalized as a cultural venue and design archive. Acland Burghley School in Tufnell Park, north London, will soon host the UK’s first museum dedicated to Brutalist architecture. Backed by a grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the renovation will be led by Reed Watts Architects who will restore the school’s Grade II-listed Assembly Hall, transforming it into a multifunctional public venue that combines performance space, exhibition facilities, and a permanent museum collection.
Designed in 1968 by Howell, Killick, Partridge & Amis — the only school project by the renowned post-war architects — Acland Burghley’s hall was originally conceived as a community anchor. With its distinctive hexagonal form and double-ended auditorium, the space was built to house everything from lectures and school assemblies to opera and boxing matches. Despite decades of wear and some unfortunate interventions, the raw concrete structure has remained a cherished example of socially driven modernist design.
Acland Burghley school, Tufnell Park | image by Jim Osley via Wikimedia Commons
reed watts architects’ to restore original brutalist structure
The upcoming project led by Reed Watts Architects will repair damaged fabric, restore original architectural features, and improve access within the listed structure. The London-based practice first announced their involvement and titled their proposal Hall for All, approaching the project with a focus on the Assembly Hall at the heart of the school. They noted its distinct geometry, as well as its symbolic presence reflecting the ideals of the school’s broader 1960s Brutalist architecture conceived in an era of social progress.
Quoting the original headmaster’s sentiment, they noted that the hall’s completion was the pivotal anchor to the school’s community. Once completed, it will thus feature several initiatives all aimed at reinstating the hall’s civic function by forming a local cultural engine. Alongside this restoration move that will preserve a part of London’s Brutalist heritage, it will give a physical home to the UK’s first Museum of Brutalist Architecture which is currently operating only online. It will feature permanent and rotating exhibitions, digital archives, and community programming. Plans also include cross-generational events, screenings, and collaborations with residents, students, and arts groups, all aimed at reinstating the Assembly Hall’s civic function. Consultation with the school, families, and local stakeholders has underpinned the project from the outset, ensuring that the building’s next chapter remains tied to its founding ethos centered on architecture as a tool for collective learning and expression.
stairwell tower in Acland Burghley School | image by Robert Lamb via Wikimedia Commons
roof in the quad area of Acland Burghley School | image by Robert Lamb via Wikimedia Commons
image courtesy of Reed Watts Architects
image courtesy of Reed Watts Architects
restoration of the school’s Grade II-listed Assembly Hall | image courtesy of Reed Watts Architects
UK’s first museum dedicated to Brutalist architecture | image courtesy of Reed Watts Architects
the school will be transformed into a multifunctional public venue | image courtesy of Reed Watts Architects
plans to repair damaged fabric, restore original features, and improve access | image courtesy of Reed Watts Architects
project info:
name: Museum of Brutalist Architecture
architect: Reed Watts Architects | @reedwattsarch
location: Acland Burghley School, London, UK
architect: Howell, Killick, Partridge & Amis
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