London conference, event and wedding venue {10-11} Carlton House Terrace is to undergo a major renovation starting this month, expected to cost £9.6 million. The project is being carried out in response to a significant increase in demand for virtual and hybrid events across the industry since the pandemic.
The renovations will result in new event space at the home of The British Academy, including accessibility improvements and more advanced technology for hybrid events. The construction work will see the biggest changes made to the Grade II-listed building since it opened 120 years ago in 1902.
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The venue’s lower ground floor is set to undergo a major transformation, which will see the rooms and corridors reimagined as three double-height event spaces fitted with state-of-the-art technology suited to conferences, lectures, workshops, festivals and performances. The aim is to create a vibrant event space that will attract an array of new national and international hosts and guests, who will get to enjoy the historical significance of the building with the benefit of first-class technology.
{10-11} Carlton House Terrace has chosen architectural firm Wright & Wright, who carry awards in sustainability and eco-conscious design, to carry out the renovation in order to fulfil the venue's sustainable commitments.
Excitingly, it will also be the first Grade II-listed building in Westminster to have double glazing installed, as well as carbon-free heating.
Stephen Smith, partner at Wright & Wright, explains: ‘The design will unlock existing, underused spaces, transforming the historic building for the future and enabling Carlton House Terrace to serve growing audiences. Our low-energy solution is based on an innovative approach that exemplifies our firm's core tenets of building new into old sustainably, with a low carbon footprint and environmentally conscious designs that will last well into the future.’
For British Academy president Julia Black, the developments will provide an opportunity for the venue to reach new audiences.
'The transformation of our building signals a new opening up of our physical spaces, and in turn, brings the remarkable knowledge, perspectives and creativity from across our varying disciplines to audiences in the UK and internationally,' she says.
The work has already begun and is expected to be finished by Spring 2024. However, pre-bookings will be available in the latter half of 2023.
Want to learn more about hybrid events? Check out our guide to planning a hybrid event, which includes what they are and tips for success.