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Building on the Past

This talk will focus on recent projects ranging from Highgate Library, Chester Road which has now been completed, Highgate Cemetery which is underway and Hall for All, Acland Burghley which is in development.

The talk will look at how heritage sustainability and long-term futures can be ensured through:

• the social impact of historical community buildings and spaces
• how environmental improvements (within the architecture and environment).

Highgate Library has just undergone major refurbishment after numerous threats to closure.

The talk will look at the highly unusual, and successful, partnership between Council and volunteers; the volunteers having played a key role in keeping the library open when it was threatened previously. More recently, it looked as if the library may have to close due to the state of the building but the partnership between local councillors Anna Wright, Camron Aref-Adib and Lorna Jane Russell, Camden Council Officers and the Friends of Highgate Library have saved it.

Acland Burghley’s Hall for All campaign also follows a story of transformation. Built in the Brutalist style of the 1960s, the hall not only serves as an exam and assembly room for pupils, but a stage for the OAE (Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment), an exhibition space, and soon to be Museum of Brutalist Architecture. Transforming the Hall is due to be completed in 2026. The details include:

• Restoring the heritage interior and sound cladding back to the original design to create world-class acoustics.
• Creating an environmental solution for heating and ventilation.
• Designing flexible staging and seating in the 679 sq metres of space that will accommodate all kinds of groups including performance, arts and sports.
• Including disabled access and toilets to ensure all members of the community can participate, both as audience members and performers.
• Allowing for up-to-date lighting and sound systems to facilitate state-of-the-art performances.
• Renovating the amphitheatre to provide an outdoor space for events.

Meanwhile, the UK’s first Museum of Brutalist Architecture will be part physical/part digital and will support heritage outreach work in the wider community. An outdoor performance space will also be created and the school’s amphitheatre, made from stones from the original Victorian school on the Burghley Road site, will be renovated. Since launching their fundraising bid, the school has been inviting back alumni to take part in a range of arts-focused activities, including creating 60 headshots for the 60 years the school has been open. Community is at the heart of this rebuild, and have been consulted at every stage to really make this into a Hall for All.

Highgate Cemetery forms the third part of this talk. With plans to undergo major redevelopments such as installing a gallery space, education workshop and new office for staff, the Cemetery is looking forward to integrating its hyperlocal communities. Though a world-renowned tourist spot, the cemetery has offered a place for communities to connect for decades. Now it is about looking at how it can support local communities to grow and develop and connect with the site. By providing a gallery space and room for educational workshops, opportunity is opened up for local schools and artists to connect with local spaces and develop new relationships.