museum, community/cultural, art in the public realm, gallery
SIRS Architects, 2022
Heneage St, E1 5LJ
The Gilbert & George Centre was originally established as a registered charity by the artist in 2009 with the objective to advance the education of the public in the arts, and generally to advance the arts, architecture, heritage and culture for the benefit of the public.
Whitechapel, Liverpool Street, Aldgate East, Aldgate
Shoreditch High Street, Liverpool Street
254, 25, 242, 205, 15, 135, 115
Architect-led tours will start/end at The Gilbert & George Centre.
Visitors of all abilities very welcome. For queries contact us in advance on 020 7477 2484 or email <enquiries@gilbertandgeorgecentre.org>
Seating in all spaces. Barrier-free circulation. Lift serving all levels.
SIRS Architects have converted a former industrial building in London’s East End into Gilbert & George’s art foundation, breathing new life into the historic fabric of the area and seeking to immerse visitors in the unique realm of Gilbert & George through a sequence of spaces and built details.
The architectural tours - led by SIRS Architects Co-Founder Manuel Irsara - will visit the building’s spaces and provide visitors with insights into the project’s history and its making. Tours will be free but booking is essential due to limited capacity.
The Centre will also be open to the public from Wednesday to Sunday 11am - 6pm during the Open House Festival.
The Gilbert and George Centre can be found on 18th century Heneage Street, situated in the Brick Lane and Fournier Street Conservation Area. Upon arrival, visitors are greeted by a hand-forged wrought iron gate, before entering through a secluded cobbled courtyard, featuring a film room that introduces the "World of Gilbert & George. A dimly lit reception area leads to three contemporary exhibition spaces of different scale and feel providing a discrete setting for the artists' large-scale creations.
The Centre has been thoughtfully converted from a 1820’s former brewery building, most recently in residential use. By combining preserved, restored and contemporary elements, the project honours the building's industrial past aligning with the artists' vision of heritage, architectural spaces and art display.
The brief required a challenging approach to create sufficient space for the Centre's transformation on a restricted site. A new basement level was constructed under the building’s pre-existing footprint and a new above-ground side extension was added.
Spitalfields has been Gilbert & George’s home and subject since the mid 1960s. The Centre is an extension of the artist’s “Art for All” ethos and aims to become a leading cultural institution - committed to free access for all members of the community - as well as providing a permanent home for an unrivalled artistic legacy by welcoming visitors from across the globe.
