The project to create a museum entirely dedicated to brutalism in Camden (London) aims to transform the Assembly Hall of Acland Burghley School into a center of interpretation of the architectural movement born in the post-war period. Initiated in 2021 at the end of a call for projects launched by Camden Council, he provided for an opening to the public in 2028 in a classified building, built in 1968 by Howell, Killick, Parridge & Amis (HKPA).
The first phase of the project, between 2022 and 2023, concerned the feasibility study, the designation of Reed Watts Architects and the building conservation objective and the museum design. Phase 2, between 2024 and 2025, mainly relates to funding, costs amounting to around £ 2,500,000 (2,900,000 euros). It is the National Lottery Heritage Fund which financed most of the project up to £ 1,100,000 (1,270,000 euros). For its part, the town hall of Camden as well as foundations cover most of the remaining costs. Construction will start in early 2026 to finish at the end of 2027, to aim for an opening for 2028.
Acland Burghley School, a major example of London brutalism, has been erected to respond to Camden’s population growth. Its plan, its structure and its facades refer to the founding principles of brutalism. The comparison with other emblematic buildings-Le Barbican Center (1965-1982) and the Alexandra & Ainsworth Estate (1972-1978)-highlights the importance of preserving the integrity of these architectures on which the museum discourse rests. This is the last brutalist school in London.
Several difficulties have however delayed the site: the constraint of working in a classified building, the need to adapt the standards without altering facades and funding.
The Museum of Brutalist Architecture is the first in the world to be devoted entirely to the movement, part of an increasing tendency to recognize and preserve the brutalist heritage, which has long been depreciated.
