There are very exciting times ahead for the London Museum, with their move to the General Market in Smithfield finally underway. This comes ahead of the official opening at the end of November. It’s been a long wait, but the project is fantastic for all sides. We want to have a look here at how it has given new life to one of the most historic pieces of commercial architecture in Central London.
A new era
London Museum has a really interesting history. Its current form was created in 1976 with the merger of Guildhall Museum (itself with a legacy dating back to 1826) and London Museum (established in 1911). Significantly, the new entity became the home of the largest collection of urban artefacts in the world, totalling well over 6 million pieces. It tells the story of London’s development and more.
The museum’s previous home from 1976 was at 150 London Wall. Notably, it was built as a way to help regenerate part of the city that was still bearing the scars of the Blitz in WWII. It became a fantastic landmark and had a redevelopment in the 00s. However, in 2016 there was an announcement of plans to move to Smithfield. The aim was to increase the size of the museum and make it more accessible. As a result, the London Wall building became vacant in 2022. Sadly, although there have been plans to redevelop it, it’s looking likely it will be demolished.
While the move may result in the loss of one notable building, it will be a brand new lease of life for the General Market buildings. Designed by English architect Sir Horace Jones, famous for designing Tower Bridge, the iconic piece of commercial architecture has been empty since the 90s. Sadly it did deteriorate in the time it was vacant, but a multi-year project to reimagine it is nearly complete.
A wonderful result
Restoring and redeveloping the General Market was a big project. The goal was to preserve and celebrate the history, while also creating a new home for London Museum. As part of this, dozens of different expert craftspeople were involved, restoring stonework, decorative ironwork, and more. There were also exciting rediscoveries, including a network of vaults under the building.
Notably, the move will increase the size of London Museum to an impressive 27,000sq/m. It will provide space for them to display more of their collection. The new museum will feature three spaces, celebrating “Real Time”, “Our Time”, and “Past Time”. There will be permanent galleries, a hub with space for events and activities, a restaurant, plus space for 13 installations. When the museum opens there will be a full calendar of events and activities like workshops and live performances.
Moving to this new location is appropriate for a museum celebrating the history of London. It is a historical area, one of the oldest parts of the city and once a beating heart for commerce. It’s a hotspot for period buildings and conservation. Plus, there are links to icons like Shakespeare and Dickens. Could there be a better location to explore London’s past, including the earliest inhabitants, the Romans, and crucial events like the Great Fire?
Got ideas for commercial architecture?
The transformation of Smithfield General Market is fantastic, a great example of what is possible with the right designs and a team of experts. It can save historic buildings and give them a new purpose. If you’re planning this kind of project and need some help, you can rely on Coffey Architects. We have experience with older properties and can see the potential they offer. We’ll work with you to create exceptional plans.
So, get in touch today and tell us about your ideas for commercial architecture. We can work with you on all kinds of projects, giving you access to our huge pool of talent and knowledge.