The Royal Academy of Arts has moved a step closer to beginning its £36m (US$57.5m, €42.9m) Burlington Gardens redevelopment project, with designs created by David Chipperfield Architects, having been granted £12.7m (US$20.3m, €15.1m) by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The development will see the linking of 6 Burlington Gardens and the nearby Burlington House, to create a centre capable of housing contemporary art shows, a debating chamber and space to display artistic treasures.

Plans from the architects suggest a corridor and stairs will be inserted through the academy's schools to create the link, with the Reveal, Celebrate and Explore project creating an arts campus of just over two acres in the heart of central London.

The premises at Burlington Gardens will then become a Royal Academy space hosting galleries for contemporary exhibitions, a lecture theatre and a 300-seat debating chamber.

The space will also be able to cater for conferences and film showings, while also offering its own education area and space to showcase the Royal Academy’s permanent collection of artistic exhibits.

The front north façade of the Burlington Gardens building will also receive a restoration, as will the building’s internal features, generating conservation apprenticeships, new jobs, and opportunities for heritage trainees.

The Royal Academy has so far raised £29m (US$46.3m, €34m) for the project, which includes HLF funding and money acquired through trusts, foundations and individual contributors, with a further £7m (US$11m, €8.3m) still required to meet the full monetary demands of the project.

“The Royal Academy of Arts is steeped in history and tradition as well as being one of the capital’s most highly respected centres of artistic excellence. These major plans bring together the best of old and new in one coherent, streamlined whole,” said Carole Souter, Chief Executive of the Heritage Lottery Fund.

“We recognise the need for urgent restoration work and are delighted that this will be achieved alongside the creation of a state-of-the art learning spaces and the implementation of conservation apprenticeships and student placements.”

More information on the Royal Academy and the Burlington Gardens redevelopment is available here.