LONDON.- Historic Royal Palaces, the independent charity that cares for the Tower of London, today unveils plans for a once-in-a-generation transformation of learning and community spaces at the world-famous site.

As a powerful fortress, a royal palace and an infamous prison, the Tower of London has helped shape Britain’s story for nearly 1,000 years. Now, supported by extraordinary philanthropic support, the UNESCO World Heritage Site is being reimagined as one of the UK’s most inspiring places for learning, creativity and community connection.

Historic Royal Palaces is transforming how it welcomes and works with schools at the Tower of London, creating world-class learning experiences at the heart of one of the world’s most iconic visitor attractions. New, fully accessible facilities designed by Jamie Fobert Architects will include two new learning centres, dedicated spaces for community use and an Archive Study Centre as well as a green classroom in the Moat designed by landscape architects Grant Associates. Together they will replace fragmented provision with inspiring, inclusive spaces designed for modern education, enabling hands-on workshops, multi-sensory learning, teacher development, community programmes and live broadcasts.

Expanding learning capacity by 250%, the investment will increase school visits from 125,000 to 200,000 annually, while extending its reach nationwide through digital programmes and outreach. Supporting pupils, teachers, families and communities across the UK, it will create meaningful opportunities to connect with history, nature and sustainability, ensuring the Tower’s stories continue to inspire future generations.

This ambitious, multi-year programme is the largest investment in learning and community engagement in the Tower’s history and lies at the heart of Tomorrow’s Tower. Tomorrow’s Tower is Historic Royal Palace’s long-term vision for the site spanning education, the visitor experience, sustainability, access, and conservation. It is being made possible by the support of donors and partners who share HRP’s commitment to inclusion and meaningful engagement with history.





A welcoming first step into history: the Weston Learning & Community Centre

Located on the Wharf, the Weston Learning & Community Centre will become the starting point for hundreds of schools and community groups each year. Designed for participation and belonging, it will feature flexible hands-on learning spaces, including the Clore Learning Studio, the Charles and Nicky Manby Courtyard, a dedicated community room and a calming sensory zone – many with sweeping views of the Tower and the London skyline. These spaces will support workshops led by costumed presenters and creative, hands-on nature-based activities for learners and communities of all ages. These transformations have been made possible by substantial support from the Garfield Weston Foundation, Clore Duffield Foundation, and Charles and Nicky Manby.

Julia Rausing Learning Centre: re-imagining the historic Waterloo Block as the new epicentre for learning at the Tower

With significant support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and The Julia Rausing Trust, the historic Waterloo Block will be carefully adapted and conserved to create the three‑floor Julia Rausing Learning Centre, significantly expanding provision for education and engagement while conserving the building’s heritage.

The revitalised Waterloo Block will provide purpose-built, flexible education spaces designed to support curriculum-linked learning, creative engagement, and deeper exploration of the stories of the Tower, from medieval power to imprisonment, global connections to local stories. It will also support teacher professional development, live digital learning, archive exploration and youth and community projects.

The ground floor will offer a fully accessible space for community and school groups. The first floor will introduce new studios and lunchrooms, supporting year-round visits. The second floor will house further learning studios, a new Interactive Broadcast Studio to connect the Tower to learners across the UK and a new Archive Study Centre.

Opening up a hidden resource: Archive Study Centre

For the first time, the Tower’s architectural archives will be opened to the public in a dedicated, fully accessible space. Housed within the Julia Rausing Learning Centre, the new Archive Study Centre will bring together more than 25,000 drawings, showing over 200 years of design, building and conservation work across the Tower and other palaces cared for by Historic Royal Palaces.

Housed onsite, these historically significant materials will be made readily available for students, teachers, researchers, and local communities. By opening them up in this way, HRP is turning a hidden resource into a living part of the Tower experience, placing these stories, ideas, and discoveries at the heart of learning and understanding.

Learning in nature: a Green Classroom in the Moat

As part of Tomorrow’s Tower, the Tower’s historic Moat will be transformed into a biodiverse and climate-resilient landscape in the heart of London.

A new “green classroom” will invite school and community groups to explore biodiversity, climate, and history together, showing how nature and heritage are connected. Designed by Grant Associates, it will offer hands-on opportunities for outdoor learning, encouraging curiosity, wellbeing, and a deeper connection to the natural world.

More than just a space for learning and exploration, this “green classroom” will enable conversations and activities centred on the positive power of nature: how it can inspire and restore us, and help us see familiar places in a new light.

A first for the Tower: a dedicated space for local communities

The Tower of London has shaped the life of East London for a thousand years. The Mint Street Community Room is the first dedicated community space in the Tower’s history — a place especially for its neighbours.

Designed as an accessible and welcoming environment, it reflects HRP’s commitment to opening the Tower to the communities who live on its doorstep, creating new opportunities for participation, connection, and shared ownership of this historic place, supporting co-created activity with local residents and community partners.