Not exactly surreptitious in stature, the Tower of London is one of those buildings that’s pretty darn synonymous with the capital city. The much-loved medieval fortress is one of London’s oldest landmarks, having been perched proudly on the banks of the River Thames for almost 1000 years now. And it’s soon set to be given some well-deserved TLC as Historic Royal Palaces (the charity that looks after the Tower of London and five other unoccupied royal palaces in the UK) has just revealed some rather extensive (and expensive) transformation plans.
The project – which is named Tomorrow’s Tower – will see a whopping £70 million invested into the UNESCO World Heritage Site in a bid to boost its learning capacity by 250%. The proposed plans include the creation of two large learning centres, dedicated community spaces, and an outdoor ‘green classroom’ that’ll be found inside the Tower’s moat. These shiny new educational spaces will allow school visits to the Tower to increase from 125,000 to 200,000 a year. The project will also see the Tower’s digital programme improved; giving schools and commuties around the country better access to resources online.
The mightly makeover will also involve opening up the Tower of London’s architectural archive to the public for the very first time. The Archive Study Centre will provide a space for students, researchers, and nosey Londoners to access over 25,000 drawings that document over 200 years of conservation, restoration, and design work at the Tower of London.
The historic Waterloo Block will also be getting in on the action. Home to the oh-so precious Crown Jewels, the former barracks are set to be converted into a three-storey learning centre, complete with a sensory room and a broadcast studio. The Tomorrow’s Tower project is currently due to be complete by 2030.
John Barnes, Chief Executive of Historic Royal Palaces, said: “The Tower of London should be a place of learning, discovery and connection for everyone, and Tomorrow’s Tower is out long-term commitment to making that happen.
Brigadier Andrew Jackson, Governor of the Tower of London, said: “By opening up new spaces for learning, community and discovery, we are ensuring the Tower’s stories continue to resonate, reaching more classrooms, more communities and the millions of people from around the world who visit each year, while carefully protecting what makes this extraordinary place so special.”
