Wednesday 11th October, 2 – 3pm: Architectural Tour of The Gilbert & George Centre
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.
SIRS Architects have recently 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 tour of the Centre will follow the screening of the "World of Gilbert & George" and will be led by SIRS Architects Co-Founder Manuel Irsara - visiting the building’s spaces and providing visitors with insights into the project’s history and its making.
Tours will be free but booking is essential due to limited capacity.
Photo by Prudence Cuming
Further project information
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 pavilion 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.
Further project information can be found under following links:
Members have access to all events in our programme.