Imperialism and Empire at 66 Portland Place
Unpack how the British Empire is embedded within the fabric of the RIBA's headquarters.
RIBA and the British Empire
The RIBA's formative years coincided with the expansion of the British Empire, shaping the institute's endeavours. Among its goals, the RIBA sought to promote British architecture, both at home and across the British Empire.
These attitudes are reflected in the symbolism of the architecture of RIBA’s 1934 headquarters building at 66 Portland Place, in London. A number of features throughout the building aimed to articulate the institute's authority.
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Jarvis Mural, Henry Jarvis Hall
One major feature of the main auditorium space is this 'disappearing' wall. It shows the RIBA Council in the centre as an imperial parliament, imposing its power and architectural influences on the subjects of the colonies.
The Colonies on the Fringe
At the outer margins are groups of Indigenous people from the colonies. Rashtrapati Bhavan, formerly known as the Viceroy Palace, was a visual expression of Britain’s power in India.
Detail from the 'disappearing wall' in the Jarvis Hall, 66 Portland Place (2021) by Architect: George Grey Wornum (1888-1957), Artist: Edward Bainbridge Copnall and Photographer: Christopher Hope FitchRoyal Institute of British Architects
Architectural authority
The influence of architecture across the British Empire is illustrated through parliamentary, governmental, and colonial administrative buildings many designed by RIBA Members. This includes two educational institutions - Liverpool School of Architecture and Architectural Association.
The 'disappearing screen' the mural in the Henry Jarvis Memorial Hall (1934) by Architect: George Grey Wornum (1888-1957), Artist: Denis Dunlop (1892-1959) and Photographer: Dell & WainwrightRoyal Institute of British Architects
'Disappearing' screen
The screen was designed and painted by Edward Bainbridge Copnall and his assistant Nicholas Harris. The subject matter was likely a collaboration between Copnall and the architect, George Grey Wornum.
The screen could be lowered down into the basement, allowing the room to increase in capacity.
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Dominion Screen, Florence Hall
This large Quebec wooden screen is a focal point in the building's main social space. It represents the flora, fauna, people and industries of Australia, South Africa, India, Canada, and New Zealand, celebrating modes of extraction and simplifying these cultures.
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Raise the Roof: Building for Change Exhibition
In 2024, the RIBA explored themes such as gender, race and imperialism through a creative and critical lens as part of an exhibition and programme of events that opened up conversations around decolonising the building. Enter the gallery to explore these creative responses...
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Celebrating the diversity of architectural practice and ways of talking about architecture, the exhibition featured new artistic interventions that interrogated and responded to the complex narratives within both the Jarvis Mural and the Dominion Screen found in the Florence Hall.
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Four new commissions were created in response to the problematic features within 66 Portland Place. These included Blacklight by Thandi Loewenson, Carnival of Portland Place, by Arinjoy Sen, Assembly by Giles Tettey Nartey and the film The Vanishment by Esi Eshun.
Blacklight (2024) by Architect: Thandi Loewenson and Photographer: Agnese SanvitoRoyal Institute of British Architects
Blacklight - Thandi Loewenson + Zhongshan Zou
Unearthing stories of extraction, exploitation and racialisation, through this graphite intervention. A drawing of a colonial mining site, in Kabwe, Zambia is etched on top of an image of the Jarvis Mural. This layering hides and reveals the complexities and hidden truths of the construction of the world it supported.
Carnival of Portland Place (2024) by Architect: Arinjoy Sen and Photographer: Agnese SanvitoRoyal Institute of British Architects
Carnival of Portland Place - Arinjoy Sen
Drawing on the theatrical nature of the existing screen to reveal the inner mechanisms not only of the screen itself but also the colonial traces that the mural references. This reimagining shifts the power dynamic, bringing those marginalised, subservient figures to centre stage,
Assembly and the Dominion Screen (2024) by Architect: Giles Tettey Nartey and Photographer: Andy StaggRoyal Institute of British Architects
Assembly - Giles Tettey Nartey
The intervention applied to the Dominion Screen marks the final stage of Assembly’s journey. During the exhibition, Giles engaged with various groups, fostering conversations around themes of home, rituals, and representation
New Panel
Giles Tettey Nartey introduces a new panel that synthesises the ideas explored throughout the project. Rather than reducing a culture to a simplified image, the panel envisions a space where people unite, share, and practice in a way that uplifts and strengthens the community.
Framing New Narratives
The Dominion Screen's panels are fragmented by frames, revealing new details and perspectives. These apertures uncover hidden stories offering fresh interpretations. They create a visual puzzle, prompting us to engage with the artwork in a more active and critical way,
Photo from 'Raise the Roof: Building for Change' (2024) by Architect: msoma Architects, Designers : Plan B and Photographer: Agnese SanvitoRoyal Institute of British Architects
"We can't change the past but we do have a responsibility to understand and learn from it."
Quote and premise in which the exhibition underpins from RIBA President, Muyiwa Oki
Explain and reclaim
Giles Tettey Nartey talks about the concept, process and outcome of the piece Assembly. This act of concealment subverts the panel’s original intent, offering a new lens through which to view the screen. The new panel represents a coming together of people and a celebration of cultures.
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All images are from RIBA Collections unless listed.
B&W façade of 66 Portland Place and 'Disappearing screen'. Photographer: Dell & Wainwright. Rights: Architectural Press Archive / RIBA Collections
Details Jarvis Mural and Dominion Screen photographs. Rights: Christopher Hope-Fitch / RIBA Collections
Blacklight. Rights: Jackie King
Carnival of Portland Place. Rights: Agnese Sanvito
Assembly in the Florence Hall. Rights: Andy Stagg
Film with Giles Tettey Nartey on Assembly: Dion Barrett
This narrative is based on original research from 2019 by Dr Neal Shasore, Architectural Historian
Raise the Roof: Building for Change installation, The Architecture Gallery, RIBA, 66 Portland Place, London, 2024
Exhibition design: Msoma Architects
Graphic design: Plan B
Commissions:
Assembly by Giles Tettey Nartey
Blacklight by Thandi Loewenson
Carnival of Portland Place by Arinjoy Sen
The Vanishment by Esi Eshun
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