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Celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the Locksbrook Building begin

Wednesday, 16 September, 2026

2026 marks the 50th anniversary of the iconic Locksbrook Campus building - originally designed by Sir Nicholas Grimshaw as the Herman Miller "Action Factory," and now home to the Bath School of Creative and Cultural Arts and Bath School of Design at ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿.

To celebrate this milestone, BSU is launching a year-long programme exploring the local, national and global significance of the Locksbrook building, its cultures and communities.

Through archival research, new creative commissions, public events and community engagement, the project traces the building's past, present and future.

Ian Parkes, Lecturer and Course Leader for Architecture at the Bath School of Design, said of the anniversary:

"We are really excited to celebrate the legacy of the Locksbrook building as it reaches its 50-year anniversary. It is a privilege to be part of an ongoing culture of creative, adaptable, human-centred practice; starting from its enlightened brief, through its life as a hub for forward-thinking making, to its reinvention as the heart of ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿'s creative courses. The impact that this site and its people have had on the city and on international creative practice is profound and ongoing, and we are delighted to share a look into this through our exhibition charting the evolution of this remarkable place."

Locksbrook Lates

The celebrations will kick off with a Locksbrook Lates on September 17. The launch event will bring the building to life after hours, with uplighting by Kyle Roberts, a panel discussion featuring Jeffrey Scherer, Ian Parkes and Matthew Page, chaired by Kelsey Cruz-Martin, building tours led by Ian Parkes and Natasha Kidd, as well as student-led creative activities, music and a bar.

The 50th anniversary programme will continue throughout the year, inviting audiences to explore Locksbrook through exhibitions, new creative commissions, archival research and opportunities to engage with the building and its communities.

Indeterminate Building Exhibition

While its use has changed dramatically, much of the building’s original industrial character and ethos of design and making remain firmly embedded in its spaces and communities.

The Indeterminate Building exhibition explores this story through archival research and material from the building’s history, looking at the people, objects and ideas that have shaped Locksbrook over five decades — from the furniture produced at the Herman Miller factory, through its conversion into a university campus, to the creative work taking place there today.

Heritage Open Days

For the second year running and the third year overall, ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿ is welcoming guests to visit it’s Locksbrook Campus for three from the 18-20 September.

All three days will include the Indeterminate Building exhibition which opens on September 18. September 19 also includes building talks and building tours, as well as a creative drop-in workshop, which will also feature on September 20.

Heritage Open Days is England's largest community led festival of history and culture, involving thousands of local volunteers and organisations. Every year in September it brings people together to celebrate their heritage, community and history. Stories are told, traditions explored, and histories brought to life.

Simone Hesselberg, Creative Producer at BSU, said of the occasion:

“Locksbrook is much more than a university building. It is an important part of Bath’s industrial and creative story, and for 50 years it has been a place where people have designed, made, taught, learned and created. This anniversary gives us an opportunity to look back at that history while also thinking about what the building might mean for the next 50 years.”

As Locksbrook reaches its 50th anniversary, the building continues to be shaped by the people who use it. What began as a factory for Herman Miller has developed into a space for teaching, learning and making, while still retaining much of its original character.

The anniversary programme offers an opportunity to look back at the building’s history, but also to think about its future. Through the Locksbrook Lates, Indeterminate Building exhibition, Heritage Open Days and events throughout the year, visitors can explore how Locksbrook has changed over the past five decades and the role it continues to play in Bath’s creative community.