The Building Exploratory was set up by Polly Hudson in 1996. The charity houses the only permanent hands-on exhibition about housing in the UK and provides a free education service for adults and children in the London Borough of Hackney. Between 1996 and 2001 the core exhibition was built with over 700 Hackney residents as part of the charity’s creative education, training and job creation programmes. Residents’ groups of all ages and abilities worked with professional artists to create high quality exhibits which were then shown alongside commissioned works of art. (These include ‘Tower Block’, a photographic 3D model by Tom Hunter and James Mackinnon which was also exhibited at The Museum of London.) A unique Geographic Information System, digital models and animated maps, were also created, in collaboration with government agencies and university departments. Exhibits were created on a project by project basis as and when funding allowed. Once publicised, these were then absorbed into the main display and used, in combination with other exhibits, to provide high quality teaching aids for the charity’s free education programme.

The exhibition was co-designed by Dr Polly Richards, with research and exhibits co-ordinated by Emma Bennett. Particular thanks for their exceptional encouragement and/or assistance go to: The Clore Duffield Foundation, The Joseph Rowntree Foundation, The Tudor Trust, The Ashden Trust, Hackney EBP, Hackney Community College, Sodem UK, Escrapology, Sally Bacon, David Cant, George Ferguson, Farquar Mackay, Faith Muir, Lisa Thompson, Bryan Vaughan Hudson and Fred Whipp.

The Building Exploratory continues to provide free educational sessions for around 10,000 local schoolchildren and adults each year. For further information about the charity or to make a donation towards its educational work please visit: www.buildingexploratory.org.uk

Selected reviews:

An amazing achievement in communication
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation

People revere this place. The simple childlike enthusiasm of the Exploratory is its strength. It looks at the familiar with new eyes. It’s also profoundly democratic
Tom Dycroft in The Guardian

The most exhilarating development in explaining buildings I have seen in years
Giles Worsley in the Daily Telegraph