The Royal Institution of Great Britain, London
1999-ongoing

The Royal Institution is the oldest and one of the most prestigious scientific establishments in the world.

It has been continuously housed in the same buildings in Albemarle Street since 1800 and contains the oldest research laboratories in the world.

Within these buildings ten of the hundred or so chemical elements that constitute the known visible universe have been discovered. It is also where Michael Faraday carried out his pioneering electrical research that laid the foundations for the modern technological society we know today. Fourteen Nobel prizes are associated with Royal Institution scientists.
Founded both to carry out scientific research and to educate and introduce as much of society as possible to Science, the Institution's scientific work has, over the centuries, given rise to a powerful architecture including, notably, a giant Corinthian façade, the famous Michael Faraday lecture theatre and a suite of neo-Adam formal rooms and apartments.

The last major architectural works between the wars left the Institution with something of the character of an elite and closed gentlemen's club. But that was then and this is now. Under the vigorous direction of Baroness Susan Greenfield, the Institution has embarked on a radical programme of organisational reform and expansion of facilities to bring into the Institution as many children, students, and scientific and lay members of the general public as possible, to widen the audience for Science.

Consequently, and in parallel, this requires significant but careful intervention in the Grade I building fabric to improve circulation and access for all, integrate a vastly increased scientific and heritage exhibition, incorporate an expanded archive and Davy Faraday Research Laboratory, a Young Scientist Centre and the supporting infrastructure of administration, cafés, restaurants and WCs necessary to support the huge increase in numbers coming to the building.

Following their success in a competition held in 1999, Terry Farrell & Partners have been helping realise the vision of the Royal Institution. The scope of the design has evolved and grown into a major project including a successful Stage 1 application for Heritage Lottery funding together with major donations from private individuals and bodies.

To keep the Institution operational during the construction works, the project has been phased with a target start date on site of November 2005 and completion at Christmas 2008.