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Tower of London announces £70m facilities project

News imageGetty Images The Tower of London viewed from across the River Thames, showing its stone walls, corner towers with domed roofs, and surrounding grounds under a blue sky, with people walking along the riverside.Getty Images
The royal palace and former prison is one of the most visited attractions in the capital

The Tower of London is planning to open new education and community spaces so it can bring the history site to life for more children and local people, it has announced.

The £70m proposal includes two large new learning centres, dedicated spaces for community use, an archive study centre, as well as a "green classroom" in the tower's moat.

These are to be used for hands-on workshops, multi-sensory learning, teacher development, community programmes and live broadcasts.

Historic Royal Palaces, the charity that runs the tower, says this will boost learning capacity by 250%, meaning school visits can increase from 125,000 to 200,000 pupils annually by 2030.

News imageTower ofLondon CGI showing modern, low-rise concrete building and people walking around nearbyTower ofLondon
An artist's impression of one of the two new learning centres planned

As part of the plans, the historic Waterloo Block - home of the Crown Jewels - would be converted into a large, new three-storey learning centre, with hands-on learning spaces, a sensory room and a broadcast studio.

These will support workshops led by costumed presenters and creative activities exploring the Tower's 1,000-year history.

For the first time, the Tower's architectural archives will be opened to the public in a dedicated space, bringing together more than 25,000 drawings, showing over 200 years of design, building and conservation work across the Tower and other royal palaces.

News imageTower of London CGI of a bright classroom, with tables, chairs, children and images of historic figuresTower of London
New classrooms and interactive spaces will enable more school visits

Brigadier Andrew Jackson, governor of the Tower of London, said the new facilities would build on the tower's existing legacy.

"For over a thousand years, the Tower has been many things — fortress, palace, prison and garrison – but throughout its history it has always brought people together.

"By opening up new spaces for learning, community and discovery, we are ensuring the Tower's stories continue to resonate, reaching more classrooms, more communities and the millions of people from around the world who visit each year, while carefully protecting what makes this extraordinary place so special."

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