Marking the upcoming tenth anniversary of the visionary architect’s passing, the Zaha Hadid Foundation is preparing to reopen her former headquarters in London. Located at 10 Bowling Green Lane in the vibrant Clerkenwell district, the historic building—a former Victorian schoolhouse originally constructed in the early 1870s—will officially reopen its doors on October 29. The site is being thoughtfully repurposed into a dynamic public cultural space dedicated to architecture, design, and the related arts, offering a permanent home to celebrate the life, work, and intellectual footprint of one of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries’ most influential creators.
The newly refurbished space has been meticulously designed to accommodate a diverse range of cultural programming. It will feature dedicated galleries, an interactive learning space, a lecture hall, and comprehensive collection displays. These newly minted environments are intended to serve as a bustling hub for the architectural community and the general public alike, hosting a continuous rotation of exhibitions, engaging public talks, educational workshops, and creative residencies designed to nurture the next generation of designers and thinkers.
The transformation of the Grade II-listed building has been spearheaded by Katherine Nolan and Alex Butterworth of the London-based practice Studio KA. The design duo approached the historic structure with a deep reverence for its past while cleverly weaving in distinct nods to Hadid’s unique aesthetic. Nolan and Butterworth have carefully restored many of the building’s original Victorian architectural features, pairing them with fresh flooring and subtle artistic touches inspired by Hadid’s own expressive paintings.
Visitors familiar with the late architect’s signature style will find her memory alive in the nuanced details of the interior refurbishment. The architects retained and incorporated elements such as custom Z-shaped door pulls and shard-like flooring insets—design motifs that the Iraqi-British architect herself had originally introduced to the space. This delicate balance of preservation and homage ensures that the building remains a physical testament to Hadid’s avant-garde vision long after her passing.
The reopening represents a monumental step in fulfilling the long-term vision laid out by the architect. Rana Hadid, chair of the trustees of the Zaha Hadid Foundation, elaborated on the mission behind the ambitious project in a public statement. She explained that it was Zaha’s explicit wish for the foundation to actively preserve her legacy while simultaneously carrying her groundbreaking ideas forward into the future. This includes advancing educational opportunities, offering steadfast support to future generations of designers, and making meaningful contributions to the wider field of architecture.
At the very heart of this overarching mission lies Hadid’s extraordinary and voluminous archive. Rana Hadid described the archive as a profound, living record of the architect’s prolific work, boundless imagination, and rigorous intellectual life. She noted that this next evolutionary step for the foundation will allow them to properly safeguard the invaluable archive, open its treasures up to much wider audiences, and forge exciting new pathways for learning, academic scholarship, and creative discovery. Through these efforts, the foundation aims to ensure that Zaha’s radical ideas will continue to inspire generations of creatives for decades to come.
Aric Chen, director of the Zaha Hadid Foundation, echoed these sentiments, expressing his profound enthusiasm regarding the upcoming launch of the site. He noted that the organization is thrilled to witness this pivotal next evolution of the Bowling Green Lane headquarters. According to Chen, the renewed space will serve as a living monument where Zaha’s legacy will actively thrive, both through curated programs and exhibitions drawn directly from her extensive archive, and through the implementation of her forward-looking ethos as the foundation actively engages with contemporary architectural culture today.
The phased opening schedule will begin with exclusive preview events for members of the press and private viewings on October 29, allowing invited guests their first look at the meticulously restored interior. Following these private engagements, the doors will officially swing open to welcome the general public starting on November 3.
To inaugurate the newly established cultural venue, the foundation has organized a premier inaugural exhibition titled “Zaha Hadid: Architecture of Performance.” Curated jointly by Catherine Howe and Libby Sellers, the inaugural showcase will direct public attention toward a lesser-known yet fascinating facet of Hadid’s prodigious output: the theatrical stage and set designs she meticulously imagined for contemporary dance productions, classical opera performances, and mainstream pop music tours. This exhibition will set the tone for the venue, illustrating the sweeping scope of Hadid’s interdisciplinary creativity as the historic Clerkenwell schoolhouse begins its new chapter as a public beacon for design and architecture.
