Study Tour: The Warburg Institute

Join this study tour of The Warburg Institute, to hear from Haworth Tompkins on their refurbishment of the building.

The Warburg Institute, founded by German Art Historian Aby Warburg in Hamburg in 1900, is one of the world’s leading centres for studying the interaction of ideas, images and society and has been part of the School of Advanced Study, University of London since 1944. Its open-stack Library, Photographic Collection and Archive serve as an engine for interdisciplinary research, postgraduate teaching and a prestigious events and publication programme. It is housed in a historic Charles Holden Building, as part of the University of London’s Bloomsbury campus.

In September 2024 a significant refurbishment project was completed by Haworth Tompkins, presenting a unique opportunity for the re-birth of the Warburg Institute, to open its hidden collections up to new audiences and facilitate a more public-facing programme.

The tour will offer the opportunity to view the existing and historical fabric alongside the new and enhanced spaces including a purpose-built lecture theatre, public gallery space, improved teaching spaces and new storage and study areas for the Library, Archives and Special Collections.

Programme

09:30
Arrivals for registration and breakfast

10:00
Welcome

Adara Wicaksono, Programme Manager, NLA

Elizabeth Flower, Associate, Haworth Tompkins

Dan Tassel, Associate Director, Haworth Tompkins

Bill Sherman, Director, Warburg Institute

10:20
Tour begins

Speaker above plus
Laura Haylock, Architect, Haworth Tompkins

Nigel Hetherington, Architect

11:15
End

Please note the capacity for this event is very limited and therefore tickets will be allocated on a first come first served basis, with a maximum of 2 per organisation.

Speaker biographies

Dan Tassell

Associate Director, Haworth Tompkins

Bill Sherman

Director, Warburg Institute

Elizabeth Flower

Associate, Haworth Tompkins

Laura Haylock

Architect, Haworth Tompkins

Adara Wicaksono

Programme Manager, NLA

MEETING POINT

The meeting point will be shared with attendees ahead of the tour.

ACCESS INFO

There is a designated disabled parking space immediately outside the Institute. A ramp at the right-hand side of the main doors gives access into the building. There are two lifts - at Reception and next to the Reading Room which give access to the building from the ground floor. Please note that the library lift is small and may not be suitable for wheelchair use. There are accessible toilets in the ground floor Kythera Gallery and on the 1st and 3rd floors of the Library. If you would like to bring an assistant with you, we are happy to provide access for them. Assistance Dogs for guidance are welcome.