The Zaha Hadid Foundation Converts Its Historic London Headquarters Into a Public Cultural Hub
The Clerkenwell space will bring Hadid’s archive into public view through exhibitions, learning programs and new commissions.
Summary
Zaha Hadid Foundation is opening Hadid’s former London headquarters as a public cultural space.
The restored building preserves key Hadid-designed details.
Opening November 3, it will host exhibitions, talks, workshops and archival programs.
Ten years after Zaha Hadid’s passing, the Zaha Hadid Foundation is opening the architect’s former London headquarters to the public as a new cultural space dedicated to architecture, design and the related arts. Located at 10 Bowling Green Lane in Clerkenwell, the Grade II-listed Victorian schoolhouse served as Hadid’s practice for more than three decades before being reworked by London studio KA, led by Katherine Nolan and Alex Butterworth.
The refurbishment draws together its different histories: original fireplaces and previously closed doorways have been restored, while Hadid-designed details – including Z-shaped door pulls and shard-like flooring insets – remain intact. New finishes reference colors found in her paintings, while the reconfigured ground floor introduces galleries, a learning space, lecture hall and collection displays alongside furniture and objects from Zaha Hadid Design.
Opening to the public on November 3, the space will position Hadid’s extensive archive not simply as a record of her career, but as a starting point for exhibitions, talks, workshops, residencies and conversations with contemporary practitioners. Its inaugural exhibition, Zaha Hadid: Architecture of Performance, curated by Catherine Howe and Libby Sellers, explores the architect’s lesser-seen involvement with performance and stage design, spanning her 1989 collaboration with choreographer Rosemary Butcher, designs for the Pet Shop Boys’ Nightlife World Tour and her 2014 staging of Mozart’s “Così fan tutte.”
