Seaton Delaval Hall to lead Vanbrugh 300 celebrations with architecture exhibition
Seaton Delaval Hall will take centre stage in 2026 as one of six national sites marking Vanbrugh 300 – the anniversary of England’s boldest Baroque architect.
Presented by The Georgian Group with support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the year-long festival celebrates the life, legacy and theatrical vision of Sir John Vanbrugh.
As Vanbrugh’s final and most dramatic masterpiece, Seaton Delaval Hall forms the anchor of an ambitious programme exploring architecture as spectacle, innovation and living practice.
The celebrations will weave together an exhibition on Vanbrugh’s life and work, the UK’s first presentation at a National Trust property of installations from the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale British Pavilion exhibition Geology of Britannic Repair, and the North East Emerging Artist Award.
From March 25 until October 18, the signature exhibition, installed in the Central Hall, will invite visitors to explore the architect’s life, work and enduring influence, with particular focus on his final major commission at Seaton Delaval.
Alongside this, visitors will be able to view images of The Cast of Players – a dramatic night-time projection-mapped artwork by Illuminos, animating the Hall’s central block with humour and theatrical flair.
Drawing on the estate’s colourful history and Vanbrugh’s flair for spectacle, the installation features 300 members of the local community photographed by Richard Eyers, reflecting the people shaping the Hall’s story today.
From April 29 to July 12, in partnership with Newcastle University, the Hall will host a dedicated selection of interpretative works from the British Pavilion’s Special Mention-winning exhibition at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale.
It marks the first time the exhibition has toured to a National Trust property.
Sevra Davis, Commissioner of the British Pavilion at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, said: “I’m honoured that the National Trust is bringing these works from the 2025 British Pavilion to Seaton Delaval Hall.
"This offers new audiences the chance to experience an innovative cross-cultural collaboration, while placing it in conversation with the Vanbrugh 300 display and the North East Emerging Artist Award works.
"The Geology of Britannic Repair was always intended to provoke dialogue, and it is fantastic that the National Trust is creating this opportunity.”