Handel’s London home reopens after £3 million refurbishment
Florence Lockheart
Tuesday, May 23, 2023
Now completed, the museum's Hallelujah project will give visitors access more of the house than ever before
Handel’s London home has reopened following a £3 million refurbishment project. The Hallelujah project has made all of Handel’s house to the public for the first time, with the restoration of the basement and ground floor and the refurbishment of the upper floors.
©Christopher Ison
Handel lived at 25 Brook Street from 1723 until his death in 1759, during which time he wrote works including Messiah and ‘Zadok the Priest’. Handel’s home has been acknowledged as a place of historical importance but became the victim of ‘unsympathetic development’ which saw the basement and ground floor turned into a shop. Now, with the entire building fully restored, the house will be home to new exhibitions about the composer, most notably an immersive display about the writing of Messiah in the room in which it was composed.
Simon Daniels, director of the charity Handel Hendrix House (previously Handel & Hendrix in London) which cares for the homes of both Handel and Jimi Hendrix said: ‘As we saw at the Coronation, Handel’s music is as fresh and powerful as the day it was written and has the ability to inspire and move us. He is London’s great composer, and we are delighted to have achieved our goal of restoring his house and excited to be sharing his life and music with more visitors, schools, and the local community.’
Following the museum’s closure in September 2021, the Hallelujah project was supported by a variety of donors including audio technology company Bang & Olufsen and grant-giving body the Wolfson Foundation. With renovations now complete, visitors are able to access more of the house than ever before, including:
Handel’s basement kitchen recreated in the original 1750s style following an inventory made shortly after the composer’s death.
©Christopher Ison
The ground floor parlours, restored to historical accuracy with art from the collection of works Handel owned at the time.
©Christopher Ison
The front façade of 25 Brook Street - visitors will at last be able to enter Handel’s home through his front door.
©Christopher Ison
The restored museum now has capacity for more visitors, and the charity plans to host concerts, masterclasses, and events with income reinvested into the museum’s heritage and learning programme. Visitors can purchase tickets in advance from the Handel Hendrix House website as well as on the day of their visit.
