Designed by George Grey Wornum, 66 Portland Place was officially opened on 8 November 1934 by King George V. Wornum's design was part of a competition to create a new home for the Royal Institute of British Architects after outgrowing the original headquarters at 9 Conduit Street.
On 14 September 1970, 66 Portland Place was granted Grade II* status. Today, 66 Portland Place is home to RIBA's architecture galleries, the RIBA Library, a café, the RIBA Bookshop and more.
From 1 June 2025, RIBA's iconic London home at 66 Portland Place is now closed to the public as we begin the next phase of our House of Architecture programme to transform collection access, update our digital technology, and refurbish the building to make architecture more accessible for our members, our profession, and the world.
While the building is temporarily closed, much of our core activity will continue from other locations, with new partners, and online:
We'll refresh this web page with further project updates when they're available.
See our programme of exhibitions that look closely into architectural movements, styles, and ideas from throughout history
Discover our learning programmes that offer everyone exciting opportunities to explore, question and celebrate architecture
One of the largest and most diverse architectural collections in the world, our library is currently moving to its temporary new home
Architectural historian Neal Shasore introduces the architecture, influences, and innovations of the RIBA’s 1930s headquarters building, designed by George Grey Wornum.
