The RA Schools, the postgraduate art school at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, has announced plans for a reconfiguration and refurbishment of their work spaces.
The project, to be undertaken by David Chipperfield Architects, will create new workshops and more studio space for the Schools; a new library; and a new suite of technical workshops. Existing spaces, which were built in the 1870, will be restored to maximize space and light, and improve access and circulation. These include the Sydney Smirke studios, the life drawing room and the Cast Corridor, which all form historic elements that are part of the institution’s 250-year history.
The Schools is the oldest art school in Britain and is currently based in the RA’s Burlington House. Some of the Schools’ functions will expand into 6 Burlington Gardens, activating the new courtyard between the two buildings. The project comes shortly after completion of the Royal Academy of Arts masterplan which saw the restoration and reconfiguration of the entire campus.