A new £7m (US$11.9m, €8.8m) development in Brixton, south London – supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) – has opened today (24 July) in the form of the UK’s first national black heritage centre.

Occupying the refurbished grade II-listed Raleigh Hall and designed by London-based Pringle Richards Sharratt, the Black Cultural Archives site now contains a learning zone, a café and shop as well as office and administration space, plus an outdoor courtyard space, which will be used for performances and events.

Actor Idris Elba and poet Benjamin Zephaniah are both big supporters of the centre, while Steve McQueen – film director and producer of the critically acclaimed 12 Years a Slave – reportedly regularly uses the archives when researching film and television projects.

"This project has been a long time in the making, but all the more worthwhile for that very reason,” said Sue Bowers, head of HLF London. “Thanks to the completion of Raleigh Hall’s redevelopment, people will be able to learn more about the contribution of black Britons to the UK’s cultural, social, political and economic life.”

The centre has had to overcome a number of major hurdles, including its main building contractors going out of business.

“I am delighted to be supporting Black Cultural Archives,” said London mayor Boris Johnson. “With a collection that stretches from Roman times to the present day, I hope it will become an important resource for schoolchildren, researchers and scholars, underpinning the role that black people have played in British history.”

The centre is opening with an initial exhibition entitled Re-imagine: Black Women in Britain, which runs until November, while spoken word, music and dance performances are planned throughout the coming months.