Black Cultural Archives
Lambeth, London
Our practice has designed this new cultural landmark as the first purpose-built home for Black Cultural Archives (BCA), the leading independent archive collection dedicated to the history and culture of people of African and Caribbean descent in Britain. The building provides facilities for BCA’s core activities of education, research and community engagement.
We have worked with the client to transform a derelict Grade II listed building into a state-of-the-art heritage centre ready to meet the vision and ambitions of the organisation, providing a local, national and international presence. The opening of the building has marked BCA’s return to Brixton, where the archive was originally founded on Coldharbour Lane in 1981.
The project’s focus was on the restoration and refurbishment of Grade II listed Raleigh Hall, declared ‘at risk’ by English Heritage in 1992. One of the central themes of the architectural design evolved from establishing, and interacting with, the six central bays of the main elevation, which are the earliest, and most significant, heritage element on the site. The original building now contains a learning zone, a café and shop as well as office and administration spaces.
The monolithic architecture of the new archive is juxtaposed to the restored Georgian façade: the modern fine stone form adds solidity to the corner of the new Windrush Square and expresses the permanent significance of the UK black cultural heritage assets within, from the slave trade and Civil Rights movement.
Windrush Square finally completed in 2010, was designed in collaboration with Edinburgh landscape architects Gross Max. One of TfL’s new key London squares, it was created by the removal of the Brixton gyratory system and various redundant roads, establishing a new public space. The design and arrangement of hard and soft landscaping focuses on the new BCA entrance courtyard: let into the paving lines that lead into the building are names of the boats and passengers who travelled on them from Jamaica to London in 1948.
In 2015 the Black Cultural Archives won two New London Architecture awards: Overall Winner and Conservation and Retrofit Award. The citation said:
"Sited at the heart of historic Brixton, the project has brought Raleigh Hall back from the brink and into active use. The derelict Grade II listed building, which had been on the English Heritage’s Heritage at Risk Register since 1992, was gifted to the BCA by Lambeth Council to provide a permanent home dedicated to black heritage in Britain. The project has produced creative alteration and extension of the former semi-detached houses, and is one of the few places in the UK to meet national archive standards."
The judging panel applauded the way in which every shortlisted entry had created a new identity for their scheme, but felt the overall winner to be clearly ahead for its wider contribution to Brixton. "As a transformation it is quite stunning", said NLA Curator-in-Chief Peter Murray.
Also in 2015, the building won twice at the Civic Trust Awards: National Award and Special Award for Community Impact & Engagement. The judges' citation said:
"The building makes an outstanding contribution to the quality and appearance of the environment. Excellence is demonstrated through good design and the local community benefit at social, cultural, environmental and economic levels."
Awards
Civic Trust 2015 – National Award and Special Award for Community Impact & Engagement
New London Architecture 2015 – Overall Winner and Conservation & Retrofit Award
BD Architect of the Year 2011 – Public Building, shortlisted
BD Architect of the Year 2010 - Public Building, shortlisted
Consultants
Exhibition Design: Ralph Appelbaum Associates
Structural Engineering: Alan Baxter & Associates
Building Services Engineering: Max Fordham
Cost: Turner & Townsend
Project Management: Clarkson Alliance