Retrofit 25 – What’s Stopping Us?

We Haven’t Finished Yet

Retrofit 25 – What’s Stopping Us? is far from over. We’re proud to announce that the exhibition will continue through an ongoing collaboration between the Building Centre, the National Retrofit Hub and Lyrical Communications (part of Nineteen Group), with its next stop at elementalLONDON, 19–20 November 2025.

As the must-visit event for decision-makers engaged with decarbonising buildings, elementalLONDON offers a powerful platform to keep the conversation going.

“We’re excited to welcome Retrofit 25 to elementalLONDON. This collaboration brings fresh energy and real-world challenge to the show floor, showcasing exactly what’s needed to keep the retrofit conversation grounded in action.” — Mike Costain, Managing Director, Lyrical Communications (part of Nineteen Group)

Still time to visit

Since March, Retrofit 25 – What’s Stopping Us? has welcomed thousands of visitors to the Building Centre. Co-curated with the National Retrofit Hub, the exhibition was created to challenge, provoke, and connect and to ask a simple but urgent question:If we know retrofit is essential, what’s still getting in the way?

A full programme of online and in-person events has brought the space to life, connecting people who wouldn’t normally meet, surfacing unspoken challenges, and sharing the stories of those already making change happen.

There’s still time to visit the exhibition at the Building Centre before it closes on 19 September.

Two final events

These last two events will close this phase of Retrofit 25 with a focus on action, responsibility, and opportunity:

·       Retrofit Meets Ethics – 10 September Explore what it means to take a rights-based, place-based, and people-centred approach to retrofit.

·       Retrofit Meets Whole Value – 17 September What can retrofit truly deliver when done well? Lower bills, warmer homes, improved health and wellbeing, and stronger communities.

With the support of Connected Places Catapult and our exhibition partners, Retrofit Meets Whole Value will bring together voices from across the sector and mark the closing of the exhibition at the Building Centre.

Retrofit 25 has helped create space for new kinds of conversation, challenging assumptions, connecting unlikely collaborators, and surfacing ideas that are already working on the ground.

“From the start, this exhibition has been about holding space for honest conversations and building confidence around what’s possible. We’re proud to keep that momentum going, and to keep asking what’s stopping us, together.” — Rachael Owens, Co-Director, National Retrofit Hub

“The Building Centre has always championed collaboration and innovation in the built environment. Retrofit 25 has brought that to life in a powerful way, by not only showing the challenges but also who’s working on the answers. We’re delighted to continue that focus at ElementalLONDON.” — John Bonning, Commercial Director, the Building Centre

At the National Retrofit Hub, we’re here to help make retrofit happen. That means connecting the dots, supporting collaboration, and focusing on action. This exhibition co-curated with the Building Centre has been one way we’ve done that and we’re proud to continue the journey. Together with partners and collaborators we look forward to exploring the eight themes of Retrofit 25 further – we haven’t finished yet.