Shakespeare’s Globe Opens Major Research Centre on Bankside
A New Hub for Shakespeare Scholarship Comes to Bankside
For the first time in its history, Shakespeare’s Globe has brought its entire library, archive, and public reading rooms into one unified space—and it’s now open to everyone. The newly unveiled Research and Collections Centre sits at the heart of the Globe’s Bankside location, marking a significant moment for London’s cultural landscape. Designed by the acclaimed architecture firm Allies and Morrison, the timber-lined facility represents a decade-long collaboration with the theatre, continuing their work from the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse in 2013 onwards. This isn’t just another archive tucked away behind closed doors. The centre has been deliberately designed as a welcoming, accessible space that invites curious visitors of all ages to explore Shakespeare’s world. Nestled near other iconic london attractions like Tower Bridge, the Globe’s new facility strengthens Bankside’s position as a destination for both theatre-goers and serious scholars. The centre addresses a real gap in London’s cultural infrastructure—there’s nowhere else in the capital where the public can access such comprehensive Shakespeare resources in one place.
What You’ll Find Inside: Collections That Tell Shakespeare’s Story
The Research and Collections Centre houses several distinct but interconnected collections that together create a remarkable resource. The Audre D. Carlin Reading Room contains over six thousand books covering Shakespeare, early modern literature, and the global history of dramatic performance. For those interested in how the Globe actually works, the Performance Archive holds every document generated during the theatre’s own productions—scripts marked up with director’s notes, costume designs, lighting plans—alongside digital recordings of shows, lectures, and workshops spanning years of creative work. The crown jewel is undoubtedly the John Wolfson Rare Book Room, which holds nearly five hundred original texts from the 16th and 17th centuries. These aren’t photocopies or facsimiles—they’re genuine Renaissance-era plays, poems, and philosophical treatises that provide a window into what Shakespeare himself might have read and known. A climate-controlled archive store ensures these irreplaceable materials are preserved for future generations. The new Weston Foyer serves as a visual introduction, with display cases showcasing objects from both institutional and artistic archives that hundreds of students already access annually.
Why This Matters for South London and Beyond
The opening of this research centre arrives at a critical moment. Arts and humanities funding faces unprecedented pressure across the country, making institutions like the Globe’s commitment to public access to scholarship particularly significant. Dr Will Tosh, the Globe’s Director of Education, has emphasised that this facility embodies the theatre’s core belief: Shakespeare comes alive best when scholarship meets performance and public engagement. For local residents in Southwark and visitors exploring the South Bank, the centre adds genuine intellectual weight to what was already a world-class cultural destination. School groups and university students can now conduct serious research without travelling across London. Teachers planning educational visits have an unprecedented resource at their fingertips. Meanwhile, the general public—perhaps someone who’s caught a production at the Globe or visited the area after exploring nearby attractions—can now dive deeper into the plays and their context. The facility’s emphasis on accessibility means there are no gatekeeping barriers. Whether you’re a Shakespeare scholar, a curious theatregoer, or a student discovering the bard for the first time, the Research and Collections Centre welcomes you. Watch for special exhibitions and public programming that will likely showcase these collections throughout the year ahead.
Source: Shakespeare’s Globe opens Research & Collections Centre | West End Theatre
