Tim Ronalds Architects converts historic London buildings into Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration
Tim Ronalds Architects has transformed a group of 17th and 18th-century Grade II-listed buildings in Clerkenwell, London, into the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration, which opens tomorrow. This museum claims to be the largest public venue dedicated to illustration globally. Located at New River Head, this site was once the endpoint of a man-made river built in the early 1600s to supply drinking water to London. The oldest structure, a windmill base from 1707, now serves as a temporary exhibition space. Parts of the old engine house and boiler house have been converted into galleries and a café, while a 19th-century coal store has become a major exhibition area. Previously, it was known as the House of Illustration in King's Cross. The architects prioritized preserving historical features like soot-covered bricks and original roofs. Notably, Thames Water still runs an operational pumping station on the site. Photography is by Hufton + Crow.
Key facts
- Tim Ronalds Architects converted 17th- and 18th-century buildings in Clerkenwell, London, into the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration.
- The museum opens tomorrow and claims to be the 'world's biggest public space for illustration'.
- The site, New River Head, was the end of an artificial river built in the early 1600s to supply drinking water to London.
- The oldest structure is a windmill base from 1707, now a temporary exhibition gallery.
- Part of the engine house, which contained a steam engine, became a gallery with a library.
- The former boiler house is now a cafe with a terrace.
- A 19th-century coal store was converted into a major exhibition space, retaining coal cart tracks.
- The museum previously operated as the House of Illustration in King's Cross.
- Thames Water retains a large portion of the site as a working pumping station.
- Photography by Hufton + Crow.
Entities
Artists
Institutions
- Tim Ronalds Architects
- Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration
- House of Illustration
- Thames Water
- Rise Contracts
- Eckersley O'Callaghan
- Max Fordham
- Core Five Consulting
- Montagu Evans
- Ramboll UK
- Earnscliffe: Making Access Work
- Sue Amos
- All Things Studio
- Wolfe Hall
- Deeney's
- Ailsa Forbes
- Fraser Muggeridge Studios
- Hufton + Crow
- Dezeen
Locations
- Clerkenwell
- London
- United Kingdom
- King's Cross
Sources
- Dezeen —