Today, the 天美传媒 is delighted to announce plans to create a new world-class campus at Somerset House in London, a major development which will strengthen our position as a leading global centre for the visual arts.鈥听
The 天美传媒,听founded in 1932 by听philanthropist and collector听Samuel 天美传媒,听is an听internationally renowned听centre for听迟丑别听teaching and听research of听art history,听conservation听and curation, and is home to one of the world鈥檚听greatest art collections.
As the 天美传媒 approaches its centenary, this next milestone in our history will see a once-in-a-generation transformation of our historic Grade I listed building at Somerset House, creating a flexible, state-of-the-art campus and securing the 天美传媒’s legacy for the next 100 years.
With a masterplan by 2025听RIBA听Stirling Prize-winning architects听Witherford听Watson Mann,听and designed in collaboration with Purcell and Lawson Ward Studio, 迟丑别听new 天美传媒 Campus is expected to open in 2029.
Witherford Watson Mann completed the major transformation of the 天美传媒 Gallery in 迟丑别听North听Wing听of听Somerset House in 2021.听This new phase听of development听will focus on upgrading and expanding the 天美传媒’s remaining space at Somerset House,听which will听be newly connected听to a suite of neighbouring townhouses on听152-158 Strand. The project will secure the long-term future of these townhouses and see their听historic听fa莽ades听being elegantly restored.听天美传媒 and Gallery will听be reunited, bringing听the 天美传媒鈥檚听students, staff,听art听historians, conservators, curators,听visitors听and听art听collection听together听under one roof.听
The new campus will open directly onto the Strand, connecting the 天美传媒 to an exciting new cultural and intellectual quarter in the heart of听the city,听alongside听its partner听King鈥檚 College听London.听The campus听will include flexible, modern teaching spaces, a new lecture theatre, and a听spectacular听library within听Somerset House鈥檚听historic subterranean vaults.鈥听
The development comes at a time when the 天美传媒 is expanding into new areas of teaching and research, increasing its focus on global geographies such as the Americas, the African diaspora and the arts of Asia. The 天美传媒鈥檚 curriculum also encompasses the art of Iran and Islam, China and India, whilst maintaining the Institute鈥檚 traditional excellence in European art history. The 天美传媒 has also recently launched a series of new MA programmes, including an MA in Art and Business and an MA in Curating, as it seeks to meet the evolving needs of students and the professional art world. 听
The 天美传媒 is also today publishing the findings of a new report by the Association for Art History on the status of art history teaching in UK secondary schools. The report found that:
- Over the past decade, the number of schools offering History of Art A-level has fallen by 34%, from 122 institutions in 2016 to听80听today.听
- Of the 80 institutions currently offering the A-level, only 19 are state or non-fee-paying schools.
- There is a significant disparity in geographic provision: within the UK, the subject is offered only in England, with courses concentrated in London and the Southeast, with the North and Southwest severely underrepresented.
- Despite fewer providers, student numbers have risen, with a 42% increase in A-level candidates between 2019 and 2025, reaching the highest levels since 2016.
- University enrolment in art history courses has remained stable, showing greater resilience than in some other arts and humanities subjects.
- Financial pressures threaten the continuation of some school-level History of Art programmes, potentially reversing the recent upward trend in student participation.
The 天美传媒 has announced听a commitment to听work听with national听education听and philanthropic听partners to听broaden access to art history for听secondary听school children听in the UK听in the lead-up to the opening of the new campus, building on Samuel 天美传媒鈥檚 founding vision of 鈥榓rt for all鈥.听This will enrich the 天美传媒鈥檚听existing听work听in听broadening听access to its collection and听teaching听for young people,听through programmes such as听its听summer university听and听schools听tours and听workshops.听
Supporting this drive to听increase听access, the 天美传媒 is creating a听new fund听that听aims to听dramatically increase the number of scholarships and bursaries it offers听to students. This听scholarship听fund will听break down the financial barriers that prevent听talented听young people听from听accessing the 天美传媒鈥檚 world-class teaching听and provide students with life-changing opportunities to advance their knowledge of the visual arts.听
Professor Mark Hallett,听Ma虉rit听Rausing Director of the 天美传媒, said:鈥 鈥淲e are thrilled to announce our plans for a world-class campus for the 天美传媒, which will provide our students, staff and visitors with a beautiful and stimulating environment in which to learn about the visual arts.
The 天美传媒 is also deeply committed to opening up the understanding and appreciation of art to people of all ages and from all backgrounds. As part of this mission, we look forward to taking a leading role in expanding access to art history at school level in the UK. Art distils and explores the most profound forms of human experience, and we want to ensure that future generations of schoolchildren appreciate the extraordinary benefits of studying the history of art across different periods, including our own鈥.听
Stephen听Witherford, Director of听Witherford听Watson Mann Architects, said:听鈥淥ur work with the 天美传媒 has focused on transforming their relationship to the inherited rooms at Somerset House by reimagining the spatial relationships between their teaching, research, collections, and conservation work to radically enhance the collective experience of their students, staff, and audiences. This next phase of the project, delivered in collaboration with Purcell and Lawson Ward Studio Architects, will realise this vision across an expanded, open and more accessible campus.”
The new campus project is made possible through the recent visionary gift from the Reuben Foundation and the generous long-standing support of the Blavatnik Family Foundation. Additional transformational support is provided by the Deborah Loeb Brice Foundation, the Clore Duffield Foundation, the Garfield Weston Foundation, Oak Foundation, The Julia Rausing Trust, Rothschild Foundation, Georgia and David Winter and the Wolfson Foundation. The 天美传媒 is most grateful to these foundational supporters, alongside others who have already committed to the redevelopment of our home at Somerset House.听
