NLA, London’s built environment community, has opened the London Centre, our new home in the City of London.

The London Centre is a hub for events, education, and cultural activities that will showcase London's innovation. London’s stakeholders and senior decision makers are invited to bring international investors and Civic leaders from all over the world into the space, providing a new shop front for London’s development and an accessible space for everyone with an interest in the built environment, from families to professionals. 

Located in the West Wing of Guildhall, the London Centre features all three London architectural models on display together for the first time; the New London Model displaying a ~200 square kilometre portion of Central London, the City of London Model, and the Royal Docks Model. They feature alongside Change, Opportunity, Vision: a permanent exhibition that invites visitors to explore the transformation of London in the last 20 years, the opportunities that come with change, and the vision needed to deliver the city all Londoners deserve. There will be weekly free model talks on Friday lunchtimes delving into the history, present and future of London’s architecture and built environment. 

The London Centre opens in partnership with the City of London Corporation in support of its ‘Destination City’ strategy to attract more people into the Square Mile. Guildhall is the home of the Corporation and the centre of government in the City of London. The City has produced a unique historic environment of exceptional richness and significance, and has a long-running relationship with NLA as a Principal Partner of the organisation. 

NLA has partnered with the Harris Federation to bring school children and young people into the space for workshops, model talks and mentoring sessions, inspiring the next generation to be actively involved in city making. The Harris Federation works with 52 academies, with the majority located in areas of high socioeconomic disadvantage. Through the partnership, at least one in 40 London pupils will be able to access NLA’s Learning programme at the London Centre, with Mondays set aside to give schools private access to the space and activities. The London Centre will continue to partner with businesses, universities, schools and community organisations to foster creativity and collaboration.