RIBA HQ - 66 Portland Place

Welcome to the Royal Institute of British Architects' headquarters since 1934. Explore this unique building to see why it is historically and architecturally important.

9 Conduit Street (1920-1929) by Artist: Walter Monkton Keesey and Architect: James Wyatt (1746-1813)Royal Institute of British Architects

A New Home for RIBA

By the early 1930s, one hundred years since it was founded, RIBA needed a larger home. Their previous headquarters on Conduit Street, a Georgian townhouse, no longer met their growing needs. This led to a design competition to create a new, fitting home for the Institute.

Royal Institute of British Architects, 66 Portland Place, London: (1934) by Architect: George Grey Wornum (1888-1957)Royal Institute of British Architects

The competition received 284 entries from across the Empire. George Grey Wornum's design was chosen, reflecting architectural taste at that time: taking inspiration from contemporary Swedish architecture, as well as American influences and the Georgian tradition of British architecture.

Portrait of George Grey Wornum, Architect: George Grey Wornum (1888-1957), Photographer: Leo Herbert Felton, 1934, From the collection of: Royal Institute of British Architects
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Miriam Wornum, 1934, From the collection of: Royal Institute of British Architects
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Portrait of Edward Bainbridge Copnall, Artist: Edward Bainbridge Copnall (1903-1973), Photographer: Leo Herbert Felton, 1934, From the collection of: Royal Institute of British Architects
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Portrait of James A Woodford, Artist: James Woodford, 1934, From the collection of: Royal Institute of British Architects
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The design and construction was a rich collaboration between architects, engineers, craftspeople and construction workers. Key individuals in the construction included architect George Grey Wornum, whose signature monocle can be seen in decorative motifs within the building. His wife, artist and interior designer Miriam Wornum, was responsible for the building's colour scheme. Sculptors and artists who created key features throughout included Edward Bainbridge Copnall and James Woodford.

Steelworkers constructing the Royal Institute of British Architects, Architects: George Grey Wornum (1888-1957), Miriam Wornum (1898-1989), 1933, From the collection of: Royal Institute of British Architects
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66 Portland Place under construction, Architect: George Grey Wornum (1888-1957), 1933, From the collection of: Royal Institute of British Architects
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66 Portland Place under construction, Architect: George Grey Wornum (1888-1957), 1934, From the collection of: Royal Institute of British Architects
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The current building required the demolition of the existing Georgian and Victorian terraces at 64-66 Portland Place and 14-20 Weymouth Street before construction of his building could commence in 1933. The building's structure is steel frame encased in concrete. The floors are reinforced concrete and hollow tiles. Different materials were used for the walls depending on location. Elevations on Portland Place and Weymouth Street are faced with Portland Stone, considered to resist air pollution.

Revised designs for the headquarters of the Royal Institute of British Architects, 66 Portland Place (1932) by Architect: George Grey Wornum (1888-1957)Royal Institute of British Architects

The fourth floor was the building's uppermost level when it was first completed in 1934, with the fifth and sixth floors added in 1958, designed mainly for staff and usually closed to the public.

Royal Institute of British Architects, 66 Portland Place, London, Architect: George Grey Wornum (1888-1957), Artist: Edward Bainbridge Copnall, Photographer: Dell & Wainwright, 1934, From the collection of: Royal Institute of British Architects
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The main façade of the building forms an austere and symmetrical rectangle made of Portland stone, dominated by the giant central window through which the second floor crosses. The large size and number of windows allow light in through all four sides of the building. The symmetry of the main façade is broken by the three bays on the left. The two figures on the pylons (columns) either side of the entrance are by James Woodford and show man and woman as the creative forces of architecture.

The figure of Architectural Aspiration being sculpted by Bainbridge Copnall, Edward Bainbridge Copnall (1903-1973), Architect: George Grey Wornum (1888-1957), 1934, From the collection of: Royal Institute of British Architects
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Portion of the Weymouth Street elevation with relief figures by Bainbridge Copnall, Architect: George Grey Wornum (1888-1957), Artist: Edward Bainbridge Copnall, Photographer: Dell & Wainwright, 1934, From the collection of: Royal Institute of British Architects
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Close-up of 'The Sculptor' by Bainbridge Copnall on the Weymouth Street elevation, Architect: George Grey Wornum (1888-1957), Artist: Edward Bainbridge Copnall, 1934, From the collection of: Royal Institute of British Architects
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The upper sculptures on the façade of the building and side of Weymouth St were by Edward Bainbridge Copnall. The central figure photographed being sculpted represents Architectural Aspiration. On the Weymouth St elevation are the Artisan, the Painter and the Architect (represented as Sir Christopher Wren), the Sculptor (with hammer and chisel), and the Mechanic.

Detail of the bronze decoration of the main entrance doors (1934) by Architect: George Grey Wornum (1888-1957), Artist: James WoodfordRoyal Institute of British Architects

The front door

The building's main doors are cast bronze and each weigh 1.5 tons. The relief design was by James Woodford and depicts the River Thames alongside various buildings from around London, including the Guildhall, Houses of Parliament and St Paul's Cathedral.

The three children on the right-hand door represent those of the architect, while James Woodford's own wife and child are pictured on the left.

Towards the ground on the right-hand side of the doors, you'll find a letterbox decorated with a figure of Mercury, the Roman God of messages (as well as finance and commerce).

Entrance

As you enter 66 Portland Place, you find yourself in an entrance hall with walls lined with Perrycot stone. They are incised with the names of RIBA's former presidents, secretaries and recipients of the Royal Gold Medal, one of the world's highest accolades in architecture.

The floor being laid with Indian teak in the Henry Florence Memorial Hall (1930) by Architect: George Grey Wornum (1888-1957) and Photographer: Leo Herbert FeltonRoyal Institute of British Architects

Miriam Wornum reflects on the construction of 66 Portland Place.
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Hive of creativity and construction

Miriam Wornum's creative input was key to the design and construction of 66 Portland Place. Her bold RIBA fabric is just one example. Here she talks about the hive of creativity and collaborative spirit of the craftsmen and other trades involved in bringing Wornum's vision to life.

Celebrating the craft of architecture

Interior features demonstrate the range of skills and different trades involved in the making of the building, as seen in the Florence Hall on the ceilings and sculpted into the wall, as well as on the golden architrave on the stairway outside the Florence Hall. 

Craft and Making

Architectural Historian, Neal Shasore points out features within the building which celebrate the art and craftmanship of the profession and the collaborative endeavour within architectural practice.

Aston Webb Room

Honouring the prominent British architect and RIBA President (1902-1904), known for his public buildings and legacy on London's architectural landscape. The goat leather-lined walls and Indian laurel wood joinery create a stately boardroom atmosphere, reflecting Webb's distinguished career. The colour of the walls has darkened due to ageing and the impact of smokers in the room over the years.

Drawing for the RIBA Library at 66 Portland Place (1934) by Artist: Miriam Wornum and Architects: George Grey Wornum (1888-1957), Miriam Wornum (1898-1989)Royal Institute of British Architects

The RIBA Library: the brain of the building

The Library today includes original design features from 1934. The interior colour scheme was devised by Miriam Wornum. The steel bookshelves project in the main nave to form alcoves, their rounded blue stove enamel ends conceal radiators. The desks are of Indian silver greywood and the chairs

Library of the Royal Institute of British Architects, 9 Conduit Street, London (1934) by Artist: Hanslip Fletcher and Architect: James Wyatt (1746-1813)Royal Institute of British Architects

The library was a key driver for the construction of RIBA's new headquarters, as the previous reading room at Conduit Street, pictured here, had outgrown the space and had limited access.

Detail of the terrace doors with glass panels by Raymond McGrath, Architect: Raymond McGrath (1903-1977), George Grey Wornum (1888-1957), Photographer: Dell & Wainwright, 1934, From the collection of: Royal Institute of British Architects
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The glass panels on the doors to the terrace on the fourth floor are a set of six engraved and sandblasted panels by Raymond McGrath. They depict six 'great periods of architecture': Greek, Roman, Chinese, Gothic, Florentine and Modern.

The Council Chamber, Architect: George Grey Wornum (1888-1957), 1934, From the collection of: Royal Institute of British Architects
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At the crown of the building, on the 4th floor, is the Council Chamber, where members of the RIBA Council meet to govern the Institute. In 2003 permission was sought from English Heritage to refurbish the room. The original English 'swirl' walnut panelling and walnut desks were preserved, as were the two doors at either end made from Australian walnut, English 'curl' walnut and Canadian maple. The large ceremonial chair on the elevated platform is for the president of RIBA, designed by Wornum.

The RIBA Library

Described as "the finest architectural library in existence", the library offers access to over 150,000 books and more than 15,000 journal volumes. Most of the vast collection of books is housed in the double-height reading room. The library is free to visit and open to everyone.

The Clore Learning Centre

Designed by Hayhurst & Co, the Clore Learning Centre was created in 2019 from space previously used for meetings rooms. The new space deploys materials, such as cabinetry fronts made of recycled yoghurt pots, to make a tactile space that references the fabric of the original building.

Royal Institute of British Architects (2019) by Photographer: Anthony Palmer and Architects: George Grey Wornum (1888-1957), Miriam Wornum (1898-1989)Royal Institute of British Architects

Renovating an architectural temple

In 1970, 66 Portland Place was granted Grade II* status and today it is regarded as a pivotal building in the development of modernism in the UK. 

Credits: Story

Explore more from RIBA Collections here. 
All images are from RIBA Collections unless listed.    

66 Portland Place: corner with Weymouth Street. Rights: Architectural Press Archive / RIBA Collections
66 Portland Place: Weymouth Street frontage. Rights: Architectural Press Archive / RIBA Collections
66 Portland Place: detail of the terrace doors. Rights: Architectural Press Archive / RIBA Collections
66 Portland Place: the front entrance. Rights: Anthony Palmer / RIBA Collections

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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