LONDON.- Located right off of Brick Lane in the heart of London’s East End, The Gilbert & George Centre will serve as a permanent home for the artistic legacy of Gilbert & George. The Centre will open with an exhibition of THE PARADISICAL PICTURES, marking the series’ debut in London.

Designed by SIRS Architects in collaboration with Gilbert & George, the Centre will offer a place for research and scholarship on the art of Gilbert & George while enriching the cultural landscape of London. The Centre does not intend to charge admission, in keeping with Gilbert & George’s “Art for All” ethos.

The Gilbert & George Centre was originally established as a registered charity by the artist in 2009 with the objective to advance the education of the public in the arts, and generally to advance the arts, architecture, heritage, and culture for the benefit of the public especially but not exclusively by the preservation, after the deaths of George & Gilbert, of the properties in Fournier Street occupied by them and the collections, archives and works of art created by them.

It is managed by a Board of Trustees and changed its status to Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) in 2017, registered charity number 1174981.

In 2015 the Trustees acquired the freehold property at 5a Heneage Street, a former industrial building located in the heart of Spitalfields and a stone’s throw from the home and studio of Gilbert & George. The property was purchased with the idea to create a permanent home for works of the artist and to enrich London’s cultural offering thus further.

The building’s conversion has been designed by SIRS Architects, in close collaboration with Gilbert & George, to house three state of the art exhibition gallery spaces, each differing in scale and feel. The artists’ vision of both architectural spaces and art display was embedded into the projects design, by restoring the building’s original appearance while creating a sustainable project with contemporary exhibition spaces suitable for their art at the same time.

It is anticipated that there will be one or two exhibitions per year showcasing the creations of Gilbert & George. As part of the exhibition programme, The Gilbert & George Centre will work with Community and Education groups to ensure that a broad demographic is engaged with The Centre.

In the words of the artist, “London is such a changing global population every day, and if somebody comes from Venezuela or from Wolverhampton, there will be a place in London where they can see our pictures, and for everyone to convene from across the world to see the art of Gilbert & George.”

It is the artist’s gift to the community of London and underscores the artist’s intention to ensure that ‘ART IS FOR ALL’.

Sustainable design

The design approach considers the sustainability of the building in its broadest sense, by integrating environmentally conscious features. These include sustainable use of energy, water and material resources, as well as the socio-economic and whole lifecycle considerations for the building. The project applied various active and passive design principles to maximise energy efficiency, minimise energy consumption, and promote the conservation of energy wherever possible.