Royal Academy of Arts

The RA has existed to champion art and artists since 1768. To commemorate its 250th year, the institution undertook an ambitious masterplan and building project to link its two sites at Burlington House and Burlington Gardens, to create one unified cultural campus.

Designed by architect Sir David Chipperfield, the new extension includes public galleries, artist’s studios, a café and bar, staff offices, an architectural studio and a 260-capacity lecture theatre and auditorium with seating created by ourselves.

The culmination of four years of work in collaboration with DCA, we developed a bespoke re-tanned calf leather for the project, which retains the natural handle and grain of the material; characteristics that were important to the client. Seat panels were specially perforated in a bespoke configuration to maximise acoustic benefits and seat numbers were hand-embossed using a typeface developed by John Morgan Studio.

The Benjamin West Lecture Theatre is used to host public lectures and talks, as well as Royal Academy meetings.