Architect Richard Rogers' home given to National Trust

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Image caption, The Rogers House is described by the National Trust as "one of the most significant homes in British architectural history"

The family home of the celebrated architect behind the Lloyd's building and the Pompidou Centre has been donated to the National Trust.

Richard Rogers' home in Wimbledon, south-west London, known as the Rogers House, was built in 1968 and has become a landmark in its own right.

The property, 22 Parkside, was designed by Rogers and his first wife Su Rogers, also an architect. Lord Rogers died in 2021 aged 88.

The National Trust has said the "extraordinary gift" will "protect one of the UK's most important examples of modern architecture for future generations".

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Image caption, Awarded Grade II* listed status in 2013, the property is sometimes known as the Rogers House or Wimbledon House

The home was built by the couple for Richard's parents, Nino and Dada Rogers.

Ben Rogers, the son of Richard and Su - who divorced in the early 1970s - said: "Twenty-two Parkside is much more than a family home.

"It is one of the most important buildings my father and mother created – a place where many of the ideas that would go on to influence my father's work and some of the world's most celebrated architecture were first tested and explored.

"As a family, we wanted to ensure that this remarkable house would be protected, cared for and shared with future generations, rather than remaining a private asset.

"The National Trust brings the expertise, public purpose and long-term commitment needed to safeguard its future, while opening up its story to students, researchers and visitors."

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Image caption, Lord Rogers was known for projects including the Lloyd's building (a model of which is seen here), the Channel 4 Building in Westminster, the National Assembly of Wales, the Barajas Airport in Madrid and Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport

Ruthie Rogers, who was married to the celebrated architect from 1973 until his death five years ago, said her late husband "regarded public access to culture – whether architecture, art, theatre, music, or design – as one of the great aspirations in life".

She said: "It filled him with such joy that the public would have access to this house that was once private, a house that was a prototype for what he thought houses could be for all."

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Image caption, Construction started in 1978 on Richard Rogers' design of the Lloyd's building

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, The Pompidou Centre, a hub for art and culture, was finished in 1977

National Trust director-general Hilary McGrady said: "We are profoundly grateful to the Rogers family for placing this extraordinary house in our care.

"Their generosity means that 22 Parkside will now become part of our shared inheritance, belonging not to a single family but to the people of England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

"This extraordinary gift will ensure that a building where world-changing ideas were born continues to inspire new generations of thinkers, makers and creators."

Image source, PA Media

Image caption, This Saturday, 22 Parkside will open to the public as part of London's Open House Festival