Interrogating Heritage

This cluster brings together staff from Art History, Conservation and the Gallery to explore intersections and divergences with Art and Architectural History as practised within and beyond the University and Gallery, especially in Heritage Management contexts. We explore the intellectual, economic , ethical and social benefits of collaborations with Heritage Management organisations, and the possibilities of engagement they bring. The cluster explores Heritage Management in a diverse range of contexts, but has an especially strong strand that focuses on issues and challenges in the study, preservation, and curation of religious and sacred heritage.

Research visit to The Cosmic House and Home House

In August 2026, the Interrogating Heritage Cluster visited The Cosmic House and Home House, London.

The Cosmic House is one of the key landmarks in the development of Post-Modernist architecture. A hugely influential distillation of the ideas at the heart of Post-Modern thought in culture and science, it is a remarkable testament to the polymathic talents of Maggie and Charles Jencks.

Home House, located at 20 Portman Square in Marylebone, is a spectacular 18th-century Georgian townhouse designed by architect Robert Adam. It served as the original temporary headquarters for the Courtauld Institute of Art, which was co-founded by the industrialist and art collector Samuel Courtauld.

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