The Tower of London’s architectural archives will be opened to the public for the first time as part of a revamp of the Tower’s educational facilities.
When it opens, the new Archive Study Centre will bring together more than 25,000 drawings encompassing over 200 years of design, building and conservation work across the Tower and other palaces cared for by Historic Royal Palaces.
The decision to open the archives is part of a wider revamp of Historic Royal Palaces (HRP)’s education and learning at the Tower of London to encourage more schoolchildren to visit.
New facilities designed by Jamie Fobert Architects will include two new learning centres, dedicated spaces for community use, the Archive Study Centre, and a green classroom that will sit inside the Moat.
The HRP expects that the new buildings will allow it to lift its school visits to the Tower of London from 125,000 to 200,000 annually. The Tower also provides funding to support schools’ travel costs to get to the Tower, and next year’s applications open in September.
Located on the Wharf in a former cafe, the new Weston Learning & Community Centre will become the starting point for hundreds of schools and community groups each year on their visit to the Tower.
Inside the tower, the historic Waterloo Block will be adapted and conserved to create the three‑floor Julia Rausing Learning Centre, significantly expanding educational and engagement provision in the tower.
The Waterloo Block is where the famous Crown Jewels are housed and is home to the Fusilier Museum, but it’s also used as admin offices by the Tower and HRP. The basement is also where the archives are currently housed, and which will be moved to their new home as part of the project.
The redevelopment forms part of Tomorrow’s Tower, Historic Royal Palaces’ long-term vision to improve education, visitor facilities, sustainability, accessibility and conservation across the historic site.
Brigadier Andrew Jackson, Governor of the Tower of London, said: “By opening up new spaces for learning, community and discovery, we are ensuring the Tower’s stories continue to resonate, reaching more classrooms, more communities and the millions of people from around the world who visit each year, while carefully protecting what makes this extraordinary place so special.”
Work is being supported by a combination of philanthropic donations, including funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, The Julia Rausing Trust, the Garfield Weston Foundation, the Clore Duffield Foundation, and Charles and Nicky Manby.