The Warburg Renaissance: Rebuilding the Institute

The Warburg Renaissance is a complete renovation of the Institute’s much-loved but long-neglected building. The Warburg Institute is one of the world’s leading centres for the study of art and culture, founded by Aby Warburg in Hamburg at the turn of the 20th century and relocated to London in 1933. It has been housed in a Charles Holden-designed building in Bloomsbury since 1958. 

The Warburg Renaissance project, launched in 2018 with a £14.5 million budget, represents both a restoration and transformation of the Institute’s facilities. The renovation enhances the Institute for research and public engagement by providing more room for books, improved digital infrastructure, and sustainable upgrades. It also realises Warburg’s vision of integrating research and display, with the addition of our first ever gallery and a greatly enhanced auditorium.

Led by the architectural firm Haworth Tompkins, the project has preserved the historic fabric of the building while creating stunning new spaces, such as a light-filled entrance and inspiring areas for study, exhibitions and events. This ambitious renovation has brought together archival research, design thinking, and collaboration with structural and environmental engineers to ensure the Institute’s future as a vibrant, accessible space for scholarship and public engagement.

The book, The Warburg Renaissance: Rebuilding the Institute, traces the story of the major renovation made to the 1958 Warburg Institute on Woburn Square, completed as the Warburg Renaissance Project, 2018-2024. It describes the project from overall plans to individual details, and documents both the archival research and design-thinking that have marked every step of the process. The book is available for download below.