The Zaha Hadid Foundation is preparing to reopen the late architect's former headquarters in Clerkenwell as a public destination for architecture, design and interdisciplinary arts. Located in a restored Victorian schoolhouse at 10 Bowling Green Lane, the venue will welcome visitors from November 3.
Reimagined as a cultural platform, the building will bring together galleries, a learning area, lecture hall and archive displays. Its year-round programme is set to include exhibitions, public conversations, workshops and creative residencies, creating new opportunities to explore ideas across architecture and the wider arts.
A restored space shaped by Hadid's visual language
The Grade II-listed building, originally constructed in the early 1870s, was renovated by London-based Studio KA. The design team preserved key historic features while introducing contemporary elements inspired by Hadid's paintings and architectural vocabulary.
Details including Z-shaped door handles and shard-like floor inlays reflect the Iraqi-British architect's distinctive approach to form, movement and spatial experience. The restoration aims to connect the character of the original schoolhouse with the experimental spirit that defined Hadid's practice.
The opening exhibition, "Zaha Hadid: Architecture of Performance," will examine her imaginative work for contemporary dance, classical opera and pop music. Curated by Catherine Howe and Libby Sellers, the presentation will spotlight stage and set concepts that expanded architecture beyond conventional buildings.
Alongside exhibitions, the foundation plans to make its archive more accessible for research, education and creative discovery. The initiative positions Hadid's work not only as a record of architectural innovation, but also as a resource for emerging designers and cultural thinkers.
By turning a former working studio into an open cultural venue, the project may help inspire future models for how architectural archives can actively support public learning and new creative production.
