Fairbairn Hall presents…

About Fairbairn Hall presents…

Fairbairn Hall, a Grade II Listed building in Newham, was originally a Boys’ Club–one of the most successful in Europe in the 1930s–part of The Mansfield House University Settlement, founded by Oxford University in 1889. Whilst the heritage of Fairbairn Hall has been well documented and preserved there is a discrepancy between Fairbairn Hall’s recorded heritage and local knowledge. For example, locals no longer knowing what a Boys’ Club is. (Or was). Or that Canning Town has deep ties to the University of Oxford. And the Settlement Movement in East London. Many of its residents don’t even know that Fairbairn Hall is the only other existing example in London of the work of celebrated architect G. Grey Wornum, who is best known for designing the RIBA on 66 Portland Street, and the Queen Elizabeth Ocean Liner II.

For the month of June during NHM:2024 Places and Spaces with the London Festival of Architecture Fairbairn Hall Presents… its first heritage initiative OUR HOUSE during which Newham’s historic Boys’ Club opens its doors (and heart) to locals and architecture, design, and heritage lovers alike.

Fairbairn Hall Presents… is an initiative by the Newham institution’s residents and artists-in-residence to engage, activate, and celebrate the heritage of Fairbairn Hall and share its stories.