London is gaining a brand-new cultural destination in spring 2026:
The Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration — the world’s largest space dedicated to illustration.
An 18th-century waterworks complex is being restored and opened to the public for the first time.
Located just behind Sadler’s Wells Theatre, this new centre aims to be more than just three galleries;
with its gardens, library, learning spaces, café, and shop, it will be a living space for visual storytelling.
A dream finds a permanent home
Behind the project is a name etched in our childhood memories with his lines:
Sir Quentin Blake.
The illustrator who brought Roald Dahl’s books to life had long dreamed of a door marked “ILLUSTRATION.”
And now that door is opening in Clerkenwell.
“Illustration is a universal, polyphonic language.
Now this language has a permanent home,”
says Blake,
“And I am proud to see my name on it.”
Opening exhibition: Murugiah – Ever Feel Like…
The centre’s inaugural exhibition will be Sri Lankan artist Murugiah’s solo show, Ever Feel Like…
Blending Hollywood aesthetics, Japanese anime culture, and the energy of 2000s pop-punk,
the artist is known for colour explosions, grotesque humour, and emotional complexity.
The exhibition will remind us that illustration is not limited to children’s books;
it can also be a stage for contemporary emotions and cultural collisions.
From House of Illustration to a permanent centre
For those who remember:
House of Illustration, founded on Quentin Blake’s initiative,
operated in King’s Cross from 2014 to 2020.
But that space was rented.
The new Clerkenwell address is a permanent home.
Illustration will now be explored at the intersection of fashion, architecture, comics, animation, and design.
The centre’s programme will be shaped by annual exhibitions, workshops, artist residencies, and interdisciplinary collaborations.
Apartment No:26 Note
This new centre represents not only Quentin Blake’s legacy
but also the transformation of illustration in visual culture.
From classic drawing to digital art, from children’s publishing to political posters,
it brings together all forms of “thinking with lines.”
On London’s museum map, if Tate Modern has experimental weight,
Design Museum has contemporary vision, and Victoria & Albert has historical depth —
The Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration will settle among the three as a bridge between “imagination and reality.”
📅 Opening: May 2026
📍 Location: New River Head, Clerkenwell, London
🎨 First Exhibition: Murugiah: Ever Feel Like…
🏛️ Number of Galleries: 3
🌳 Additional Spaces: Gardens, library, café, shop
🌐 quentinblakecentre.org
