3rd Feb 2020: winners announced for new £50m venue at Somerset House, London

Following an international competition organised by Colander Associates, Niall McLaughlin Architects has been appointed to design a new £50m multi-purpose auditorium and public space at Somerset House in London. The jury included architect Julia Barfield and musician and artist Brian Eno, who is a Somerset House trustee. The jurors were unanimous in their praise of the winning design, which they felt demonstrated a strong sense of direction and clarity of thought, alongside a commitment to sustainability.

Over the last twenty years, Somerset House has transformed from a series of Government offices into a working arts centre and a hub for creative businesses. The new venue will allow audiences to experience work by all kinds of artists, with the site also hosting conferences and corporate events. A new public area will link the river Thames to the site. William Sieghart, chairman of Somerset House Trust, stated: “This will utterly transform our public space into a new magical one at the heart of London by allowing people to stroll from the street to the river by our courtyard.”

This tender was first published by TenderStream on 25.07.2019 and can be viewed in our archive here