Discovering Hendrix at Handel House, Brook Street, London W1

The Handel House Museum comprises two buildings – 23 & 25 Brook Street – within the Mayfair Conservation Area of the City of Westminster. Nr. 25 Brook Street is listed Grade 1 and was the residence of George Frideric Handel from its construction in 1723 until his death in 1759. The adjacent Grade 2 listed building at 23 Brook Street contains the flat where Jimi Hendrix lived while in London in the late 1960’s.

The overall vision of the Handel House project is to create a unique heritage site that celebrates the social, historical and musical heritage of Brook Street, and the musical legacy of Handel and Hendrix, and makes these accessible to a far larger audience than is currently possible within the constraints of the buildings.

A masterplan strategy has been prepared for the site and Haines Phillips Architects have submitted an application for full planning permission and listed building consent for the Phase 1 works. These will include opening the Jimi Hendrix flat to full public access, with new exhibition and interpretation spaces relating to Jimi Hendrix, and the creation of a dedicated Learning Studio to support visiting groups in interpreting the Handel House Museum, which will also act as a recital room.

The Learning Studio will be housed within a new-build extension to the rear of no. 23 (facing Lancashire Court), and other work will involve a new mansard roof extension to no. 25 for office accommodation, the upward extension of the lift shaft and stairwell to serve the third floor level so that the Hendrix flat becomes accessible to all visitors, and the provision of new visitor facilities.

Read more about the Handel House Museum on their website. 

Client: Handel House Trust Ltd.

The development stage of the project has been supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund

Read more about our work with listed and historic buildings in the Conservation and Heritage area of our website.

Save this page as a PDF