Key details
Date
- 3 August 2026
Author
- RCA
Read time
- 1 minute
Key details
Date
- 3 August 2026
Author
- RCA
Read time
- 1 minute
The Royal College of Art (RCA) has been awarded a grant of £500,000 from the Wolfson Foundation to support the redevelopment of the historic Darwin Building as part of the College's ambitious transformation of its Kensington campus.
The grant will contribute to the renewal of the Grade II-listed Darwin Building, helping to create a modern, accessible and sustainable environment for teaching, research and creative practice while carefully preserving the site's architectural heritage.
The Darwin Building is central to the RCA's vision for its Kensington campus. The wider transformation programme will deliver enhanced studios, workshops and teaching spaces, improved accessibility throughout the site, and new public-facing facilities, including galleries, event spaces and a café. The project will also reinstate the historic 1851 Place entrance facing the Royal Albert Hall, creating a welcoming new gateway to the College and strengthening its connection with the local community.
The Wolfson Foundation's investment is a significant milestone in the delivery of the project and reflects a shared commitment to creating world-class environments that enable excellence in education, research and the arts.
The Wolfson Foundation awarded its first grant to the Royal College exactly fifty years ago. An independent grant-making charity, it focuses on research and education. Its funding spans science, health, heritage, the humanities, and the arts, and its support for the Royal College of Art has been instrumental in bringing the project closer to completion.
The redevelopment of the Darwin Building forms part of the RCA's wider £90 million transformation of its Kensington campus, which will be delivered in phases through to 2032. Once complete, the project will provide an enhanced environment for learning, making and collaboration, while preserving one of the College's most significant historic buildings and opening the campus more fully to the public.
The Royal College of Art announced its plans for the renewal of the Kensington campus last autumn, setting out a vision to create a more connected, inclusive and sustainable home for the world's leading university of art and design.
