Somerset House
An expansion beneath the surface
2019–2020
Introduction
Somerset House is a grand neoclassical building in central London, located on the south side of the Strand, overlooking the River Thames. It's a cultural and historical landmark with a rich legacy stretching back to the 16th century.
Historically a government building, it serves today as a dynamic hub connecting cultural innovators across art, technology, business, and social enterprise.
By launching an architectural competition to extend its reach, Somerset House envisioned a new performance arena and a multifunctional space.
Technical details
Somerset House / Colander Associates
Photo: Filippo Bolognese
An underground solution
In Snøhetta's distinctive approach to the architectural competition of Somerset House, our focus went beyond the creation of a multifunctional venue at Somerset House. We strategically positioned all auditorium functions underground, maximizing the use of existing spaces and connecting disparate elements through innovative design.
The underground approach is allowing for a new and unexpected public space for London, reflecting the magic of the Somerset House. Our proposal envisions not only a state-of-the-art performance space but also an interconnected architectural concept that harmonizes with Somerset House's rich history, marking a significant leap into the future as a pioneering arts center in the heart of London.
Photo: Snøhetta
New performance space in the courtyard
Somerset House, situated in a neoclassical building at the heart of London, has historically been a government building. Today, it serves as a dynamic hub connecting cultural innovators across art, technology, business, and social enterprise. With a rich history of influence and a spirit of constant curiosity, it fosters a diverse creative community, facilitating unexpected alliances and experimental forms of expression.
The House embodies a relentless energy that intensifies creativity, multiplies opportunities, and drives artistic and social innovation, contributing to personal transformation. This is materialized through hundreds of large and small spaces for creation and debate.
With this architectural competition, Somerset House sought to expand its reach, adding a new performance space in a courtyard used as a loading dock today. The project marks a pivotal moment in the remarkable change that has taken place over the last twenty years, transforming Somerset House from a series of Government offices into a pioneering working arts centre and a groundbreaking cultural eco-system. The new venue will be a place where up to 700 people can see, hear, and experience in different configurations work by all kinds of artists directly in the heart of London. It will also be a venue that can be used for conferences and corporate events, an important part of the business model.
Connecting hundreds of smaller rooms and studios
Stretching beyond the initial task of a designing a multifunctional venue, Snøhetta’s proposal included a broad conceptual approach that sought to connect the hundreds of smaller rooms and studios within Somerset House. The approach stretches beyond the courtyard, connecting to the spaces near the Waterloo Bridge. By doing this, the project created underground connections between functions which is very detached from the core of Somerset House today.
Snøhetta’s approach for the performance space to locate all auditorium functions underground, allows to reflect the beautifully dimensioned courtyard in a water surface covering the auditorium. By utilizing the lower levels of the existing buildings, we found solutions for maximizing the auditorium size. The main access is through a horizontal cut in the water surface, facing the Thames and Waterloo Bridge. Vertical foyer access is located centrally on the site, through a spiraling floor reflecting the history of crafted staircases in Somerset House. The design allows for extensions into a larger project, where the Somerset House in full is connected in one architectural concept.
Photo: Orms/Snøhetta
