Somerset House (SH) is London's Working Arts Centre. We offer a groundbreaking arts and entertainment programme, and are a home to the UK's largest creative community. SH is acknowledged to be one of the finest and largest public buildings of the C18th; being one of the most accomplished Palladian buildings in England. It is a Grade I listed complex.

Somerset House Trust (SHT) wish to enhance part of its estate in between the West and New Wings to improve its cultural public offer, strengthen its identity as a hub for artists and creative enterprise and create a new public space that follows the route of a now lost historical connection from the Strand towards the river (West Street). Aside from the external courtyard area, SH does not have any facilities for large performances and gatherings of more than 200 people at a time. SHT is therefore seeking to identify and appoint a design team for a new 1 600 m2 auditorium and public space, known as ‘West Street’.

The current procurement is not a competition to identify and deliver a design, rather to identify and appoint the architect, who will lead the full design team.

Somerset House is therefore seeking to appoint an architect for this sensitive project. Other design disciplines including engineers, landscape architects and other specialists such as theatre and acoustics designers, will be procured separately.

This will be a restricted process with expression of interest followed by an invitation to tender.