Speaking at The Lighterman in King’s Cross on Thursday (16 July), the Studio Pringle founder outlined £100 million plans for the House of Architecture programme of upgrades to RIBA’s headquarters, technology and a museum for its collections.

Pringle explained that an expanded programme of public events and activities when 66 Portland Place reopens from 2028 – and a planned ‘museum of architecture’ from 2032 – will require ‘a whole new organisation’ as a result of significantly increasing its public and cultural programme.

‘We need to set up a whole new organisation,’ said Pringle. ‘We’ve always had programmes and awards and events, but this is going to be a whole new order. [The cultural programme is] going to at least double in size.’

‘We need to set up a whole new organisation’

The House of Architecture is the RIBA’s umbrella programme, bringing together the £58.8 million, Benedetti-designed refurbishment of its headquarters at 66 Portland Place, an £26.2 million overhaul of its digital infrastructure and member systems, and the creation of a Museum of Architecture for the institute’s nationally significant collections – which could bring the total cost to at least £100 million.

66 Portland Place shop proposal – Alex Cochrane Architects

Source: Alex Cochrane Architects

Commenting on the future new organisation, Pringle said. ‘There needs to be some sort of oversight and steer, and I think that will come from a combination of the executive and the board.’

On the long-term costs for the House of Architecture, Pringle acknowledged that operating Portland Place and an architecture museum would increase expenditure and that ‘running a museum is going to be a bit more expensive’.

However, he said the House of Architecture capital programme was not being funded through members’ subscriptions and that the RIBA was expecting to generate additional income from venue hire, events and programmes to help meet future operating costs. The institute is also actively looking for funding partners internationally, Pringle said.

‘Running a museum is going to be a bit more expensive’

The remarks came shortly after Pringle discussed the RIBA’s current staffing levels, saying the institute employed around 230 people. He said headcount had fallen by around 80 during his time as chair as part of efforts to balance the organisation’s finances, adding that he would ‘always like it to go down a bit’.

He added that automation of manual administrative processes could reduce staffing requirements in some areas, although those savings could be offset by the demands of running House of Architecture’s expanded programme.

66 Portland Place 3D section by Purcell

Source: Purcell

Outlining more details about the planned ‘game-changing’ museum for the first time, Pringle said the RIBA was ‘negotiating on this contract right now’ for a central London site, ‘which is really really exciting’.

He continued. ‘It will be on that “daisy chain” between the Soane Museum, the New London Museum, and the Barbican. So it’s actually going to be on a cultural mile [and] It will house the vast majority of our collection.’

Asked by a member of the audience if a competition would be held for designing the space, Pringle responded by saying: ‘We held competitions for all the other architectural appointments because we wanted it to be as open as possible, and I think we’ve got five architects working on 66 Portland Place, so that’s great. I think something special is going to happen in the museum – and I can’t tell you what it is.’

66 Portland Place café restaurant proposal by Gundry and Ducker

Source: Gundry and Ducker

The AJ revealed last year that RIBA was looking for a space in London to establish a Museum of Architecture to showcase its collection to the public in a space away from Portland Place, taking inspiration from inspiration from V&A East Storehouse, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, which put the V&A’s collections on display.

Earlier in his presentation, Pringle described how 92-year-old 66 Portland Place had reached the end of its operational life, with leaking roofs, failing services, asbestos, poor accessibility and outdated environmental performance when he entered the institute as president in 2005-27, and later as chair of the board in 2020.

‘Something special is going to happen in the museum’

‘It looked like Fort Knox,’ he said, adding that RIBA had even installed a ‘Welcome’ sign on the front doors in an attempt to make the building appear more inviting before it closed for refurbishment last year.

When the RIBA’s ‘Swedish Modernist’ HQ does reopen, Pringle said its ‘architecture café’ would rival RSHPS’s River Café as a destination and feature a rotating selection of models on display to the public. On the front of the building, a three-storey LED screen is being considered to display images of the UK’s best buildings and RIBA award-winners.

66 Portland Place Library proposal – Purcell

Source: Purcell

Internal restoration work will see the return of long-lost fabrics such as curtains designed by Miriam Wornum, of the husband and wife team that designed 66 Portland Place, which the RIBA and its architects are having recreated by the same firm that produced the originals.

Pringle said: ‘The bit I like most … You might all be familiar with the Aston Webb Room. That room lined with really dark, manly leather, old men smoking cigars or making important decisions. That isn’t dark leather. That was white kid [leather], and it had lime green curtains with tassels etc. It was the most feminine room in the RIBA.

‘The femininity is definitely coming back.’

This story was updated to emphasise that RIBA’s cultural offer and programming could ‘double in size’.

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