24 Guildhall Road
Our new site at 24 Guildhall Road presents a new chapter in the evolution of NN Contemporary Art (NNCA) as a visual arts organisation serving Northamptonshire and the wider East Midlands area.
The restoration of 24 Guildhall Road marks a major milestone in the regeneration of Northampton’s Cultural Quarter. This ambitious £5.2 million capital project has brought a historic building back into public use, creating a new home for NN Contemporary Art (NNCA) and providing high-quality creative workspaces, exhibition facilities, and public spaces. Practical completion was reached at the start of 2025, and the project is now progressing into its final stages as NNCA completes the specialist fit-out of the galleries and artist studios ahead of a public opening in spring 2026.
The project began in 2021, after being successfully identified through a competitive bidding round for the SEMLEP Pipeline Projects. Its core aim was to provide a larger and more accessible home for NNCA, ensure the building was fully fit for public occupation, and deliver necessary repairs and upgrades.
Phase one focused on providing a larger more accessible home for NNCA, making the building fit for occupation and public use, creating new exhibition spaces and creative workspaces, improving the visitor entrance, accessibility improvements and new toilets. The first phase of the project, delivered between the end of 2021 and 2023, focused on essential repairs to the roof and façade of the building, making it structurally secure and ready for public use. At the same time, this phase launched a unique co-design process created by NNCA inviting Sean Griffiths (cofounder of F.A.T) Studio Morison and the wider design team to shape the future character and functionality of the building to become something truly artist led. This included a series of artist and community consultations held across Northampton to explore potential uses, priorities, and ambitions for the building. These sessions helped define the spatial layout, design intentions, and public-facing ethos of the redevelopment. The co-design programme was delivered collaboratively with pHp Architects, Sean Griffiths and Overbury Contractors, embedding artist-led and community-centred thinking into every stage of the early design work.
Following the repair and co-design period, the project entered its major construction phase (phase 2) from 2023 to 2025. This programme was delivered in partnership with West Northamptonshire Council’s in-house project management team, supported by a range of local professional services. CS2 Ltd provided contract administration and cost consultancy, pHp served as architects, and The Engineering Practice (TEP) delivered mechanical and electrical services. Steele and Bray Ltd, a Northampton-based firm, acted as the principal contractor for this phase of the work. The design team was led by Sean Griffiths, with NNCA acting as the principal client for the project, and this phase also initiated a national competition leading to the commissioning of Giles Round to complete a suite of spaces on the upper ground floor that would become known as “The Northampton Rooms”. These rooms further helped define how the institution would operate as “artist-led” on completion.
The building has now been fully fitted out to accommodate NNCA as the anchor tenant. This provides a new operational base for the organisation, supporting its staff team, artist development work, and community programmes. Artist-designed spaces on the upper ground floor including a new reception area and artist lounge—were created with contributions from Sean Griffiths and Giles Round, bringing a distinctive character and contemporary visual identity to the building.
Funding for the £5.2 million transformation came from multiple sources, reflecting strong local and national support for the project. West Northamptonshire Council contributed £2.41 million, with further funding secured through the government’s Towns Fund (£1.65 million) and the Getting Building Fund (£1.15 million).
With practical completion reached in early 2025 and the 25-year peppercorn lease agreement finalised in August 2025, NNCA is undertaking the specialist fit-out of the new gallery spaces, project and event areas, 17 artist studios, and public circulation zones. Designers Kellenberger White were commissioned in 2024 to lead the rebrand and signage strategy, with the new visual identity launching in early 2026. Once open in spring 2026, 24 Guildhall Road will serve as a major cultural hub for Northampton, offering accessible contemporary art experiences, expanded creative workspace for artists, community groups and SMEs, and new opportunities for learning and community engagement. It will become the new home of the Northamptonshire Black History Association and their open studio archive space, and will launch a new art and food programme featuring an on-site hydroponic growing station.
The Guild Programme will act as the artist-development heartbeat of the institution, establishing a truly generative and artist-led model that imagines public art both indoors and as an integral part of institutional building. The building’s location next to Northampton Museum & Art Gallery and the Royal & Derngate strengthens its role within the Cultural Quarter, helping to increase footfall and support long-term cultural and economic regeneration.
Emer Grant, Artistic Director and CEO of NN Contemporary Art, said:
“We are delighted to have completed this expansion and capital development project in partnership with West Northants Council to establish a major new cultural destination for the region. A contemporary art space is a driver of progressive, positive change, that contributes to building diverse, sustainable communities. This project will bring exciting benefits to many and is much more than arts development or renovations. This is about recognising the pivotal role of culture in shaping not just new public spaces, but new creative, public futures.”
