Walking through Somerset House on the edge of the Thames, you can feel centuries of history in the stone walls. Soon, those walls will house something remarkable: an £82 million transformation that shows how old buildings can serve entirely new purposes without losing their soul.

The Courtauld Gallery's expansion, announced in late 2025, is more than just another museum renovation. It's a masterclass in making heritage buildings work harder while respecting every carved detail and painted ceiling that makes them special.

When Old Meets New

Somerset House earned its Grade I listing for good reason. This designation marks it as one of Britain's most historically significant buildings. Any changes require navigating strict preservation standards that protect features like cantilever stone staircases, delicate plaster friezes, and elegant lantern windows.

Witherford Watson Mann Architects won the job. They're working with heritage specialists Purcell and Lawson Ward Studio, a team combination that signals the project's dual commitment: preservation and innovation. The architects already transformed the Courtauld's North Wing in 2021, so they know the building's quirks and possibilities.

The project will weave together five townhouses at 152-158 Strand with the main Somerset House campus. These facades will be carefully restored while their interiors get reimagined for 21st-century needs. Most importantly, this creates the building's first fully accessible entrance directly from the Strand, one of London's busiest streets.

Below Ground, Above Expectations

Some of the most dramatic changes are happening in Somerset House's basement vaults. These subterranean spaces, previously underutilized, will become a spectacular new library. It's the kind of architectural move that makes you reconsider what "historic preservation" really means.

The project also adds a lecture theatre, flexible teaching spaces, and two new galleries for contemporary art funded by a £10 million donation from the Blavatnik Family Foundation. The Reuben Foundation contributed £30 million as the largest single donor.

Environmental upgrades include heat recovery systems, efficient ventilation, intelligent controls, and custom air outlets. These improvements matter beyond comfort. Buildings account for roughly 40% of global carbon emissions. The construction industry alone extracts over 30% of the world's natural resources and produces 25% of solid waste.

Preserving and adapting existing buildings, rather than demolishing them, is increasingly recognized as environmental action.

The Economics of Preservation

Heritage buildings that undergo thoughtful restoration command premium prices. Properties with sustainability improvements get 12-18% higher rents compared to standard environmental performance. Adaptive reuse projects achieve 15-25% higher rental premiums than standard commercial spaces.

These numbers explain why 90% of new real estate development is expected to involve adaptive reuse within the next decade. Developers are realizing what preservationists have long known: old buildings have inherent value beyond their architecture.

The Courtauld project will reunite the Institute and Gallery under one roof. Students, staff, art historians, conservators, curators, and visitors will share connected spaces rather than being scattered across buildings. This physical integration mirrors intellectual integration, with new programs exploring global geographies including the Americas, African diaspora, and the arts of Asia, Iran, Islam, China, and India.

Access and Education

The project addresses a growing crisis in art history education. Between 2016 and 2025, UK schools offering History of Art A-level declined by 34%, dropping from 122 institutions to just 80. Only 19 of those 80 are state or non-fee-paying schools.

Paradoxically, student interest surged. A-level art history candidates increased by 42% between 2019 and 2025. Demand is rising while access contracts.

The Courtauld is creating a new scholarship fund to dramatically increase bursaries. The goal is removing financial barriers for talented students who might otherwise skip art history entirely. New MA programs in Art and Business and Curating respond to evolving professional needs.

Accessibility extends beyond economics. Venues with comprehensive accessibility features experience 21% higher visitor engagement rates and 18% longer average visit durations. The new fully accessible Strand entrance isn't just meeting legal requirements—it's opening the building to everyone.

The Preservation Balancing Act

Historic building restoration always involves tension between preservation and modernization. Change too little, and the building becomes a mausoleum. Change too much, and you destroy what made it significant.

The Courtauld project navigates this by identifying what must be preserved and what can transform. Those painted ceilings and stone staircases? Untouchable. The basement vaults? Fair game for creative reimagining.

This approach recognizes that buildings are not static monuments. Somerset House itself has transformed multiple times since construction. It housed the Royal Academy, the Royal Society, and various government offices before becoming home to the Courtauld. Each era left its mark.

The 2029 completion will coincide with the Courtauld's centenary. Founder Samuel Courtauld established it in 1932, making his collection accessible to students and the public. This new phase extends that founding vision: great art shouldn't be locked away in private collections or intimidating institutions.

Beyond Somerset House

The Courtauld project reflects broader trends in museum architecture. Institutions worldwide are grappling with similar questions: How do we make historic spaces accessible? How do we integrate modern technology without compromising architectural integrity? How do we balance preservation with the need for spaces that actually work?

Museums are also expanding their missions beyond displaying objects. They're becoming community spaces, educational centers, and gathering places. This requires different architecture than traditional gallery rows.

The partnership between the Courtauld and King's College London creates a new cultural and intellectual quarter in central London. Historic preservation increasingly means thinking beyond individual buildings to entire neighborhoods and cultural ecosystems.

Making History Work

When the Courtauld reopens in 2029, visitors entering from the Strand will walk through restored Georgian townhouse facades into contemporary galleries and a subterranean library. They'll learn about global art histories in spaces that themselves tell stories about British architectural history.

This layering is what makes historic building restoration compelling. New purposes don't erase old meanings—they add to them. Every intervention becomes part of the building's ongoing story.

The £82 million investment shows that society still values these connections to the past. We're willing to spend significant resources making old buildings relevant for new generations. But the money isn't just about nostalgia. It's recognition that these spaces have qualities that new construction struggles to replicate: craftsmanship, materials, proportions, and the patina that only time creates.

Somerset House will continue evolving long after 2029. Future generations will make their own changes, adding new chapters to a story that's already centuries old. That's not a problem to solve—it's exactly how historic buildings should work.