Stories from the Past - Visions of the Future

Marking the moment we embark on the most significant transformation of our home for nearly 150 years, this exhibition explores the past and future of the RA’s buildings.

The RA is home to four centuries of architectural history. From distant beginnings as town-palace on the edge of London, Victorian transformations with the arrival of the Royal Academy, and the construction of 6 Burlington Gardens, to twentieth and twenty-first century interventions of The Sackler Wing and the Keeper’s House, our buildings are a palimpsest of architectural interest and invention.

This rich legacy has provided the basis for a major building project designed by architect David Chipperfield RA that will open up the Royal Academy for the twenty-first century. A new bridge building will link Burlington House and Burlington Gardens, unifying our site for the first time, while Burlington Gardens will be overhauled with refurbished galleries, a new Clore Learning Centre and a 260-capacity lecture theatre.

Complete in time for the 250th anniversary of the RA’s foundation in 2018, the project lays the ground the next stage in our history.