A key element of the project will be to link the main Burlington House academy building to 6 Burlington Gardens, acquired in 2001. The project also includes adding a new 300 seat auditorium and improved student teaching spaces and galleries at Burlington House.

Work is due to start on the project, where Arup is the M&E consultant, in the autumn and run for around 18 months.

Both Grade II listed buildings will be joined together by means of a new public bridge link bridge, built from concrete, that will give visitors easy access to a unified Royal Academy site.

Architect David Chipperfield RA drew up the Burlington project masterplan, which includes a new bridge to link both academy buildings

Planned eastern extension will be fitted with pre-cast concrete cladding