In 2015, the Pitzhanger closed for a major conservation project to restore the Grade I listed building[1] to Soane’s original designs, and upgrade the contemporary Gallery.

The three-year project was led by Ealing Council, in collaboration with Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery Trust and with the aid of the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

[4] In 1768, George Dance the Younger was commissioned to build an extension, on which a young John Soane, later to become one of Britain’s most influential architects, had one of his first architectural apprenticeships.

Soane intended it as a country villa for entertaining guests, to showcase his skills as an architect and his collection of art and antiquities, and eventually for passing down to his elder son.

[5] He planned for the demolition of the older part of the house and many of the outbuildings; however, he retained the two-storey south wing designed by George Dance.

Fully completed in 1804, the central section of the house displays many typical Soane features: quartered and canopy dome ceilings, inset mirrors, and wooden panelling.

Since Soane's time, the house has been referred to variously as The Manor, or Pitshanger Manor, but has now formally reverted to the name given to it by Soane, spelt with a Z. Pitshanger Village and Lane remained spelt with an S. In 1900, the house was acquired by Ealing Urban District Council in the year before it became a Municipal Borough for a total of £40,000, a quarter of which came from the Middlesex County Council.

To avoid a clash of architectural styles, Jones specified that the new extension be an almost mirror image of its neighbour, clearly visible through the connecting arches.

[8] The project aimed to restore Pitzhanger Manor to Sir John Soane’s architectural vision, revealing the building's rich history.

In addition the building was made fully accessible, a contemporary café restaurant was built on the site of Soane’s kitchen garden, and the Gallery was upgraded to include a Grade-A space with environmental controls to allow for major loans.

In line with Soane’s plans for Pitzhanger, the rear single-storey conservatory, which was demolished by 1910,[9] was rebuilt, and the large roof light was reinstated.

[10] They were supported by a large team of specialist contractors, led by Quinn London Ltd. Jestico + Whiles additionally designed a new café-restaurant in the walled garden and a new educational centre by the existing play-park.

It now displays three exhibitions a year of artwork by contemporary artists, designers and architects to provide a new perspective on the work of Sir John Soane.

Alongside the extensive conservation, the new learning centre, The Rickyard, opened in 2015, is run by Ealing Council and often hosts Pitzhanger events and workshops.

An independent charity has been established called Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery Trust, formed in 2012 by Ealing Council to oversee the restoration project.

Among these influences, Soane incorporated in his own architectural motifs: he included canopy ceilings, a masterful use of light and shadow, as well as economic and optical devices.

On the Grade II gate is the following inscription: In proud and grateful memory of the men of this borough who laid down their lives in the Great War 1914–1918.

Soane’s guests included an array of prominent creative contemporaries; John Flaxman, Nancy Storace, Matthew Gregory Lewis were among the Regency luminaries he hosted.

Eliza Soane acquired William Hogarth's A Rake's Progress at a Christie's sales in 1802, which is thought to have been displayed in the Manor’s Small Drawing Room.