The architect Zaha Hadid has bought the Design Museum building in Shad Thames, for a reported cost of around £10m. Hadid, whose practice ZHA designed the Aquatics Centre for the Olympics, will have to wait until 2015, when the Museum moves to its new home in Holland Park, before she gets the keys to the place.
In a statement, the architect said that the space would be used for exhibitions that showcase "the research and innovation of global collaborations in art, architecture and design", something that the current museum, which has in recent years hosted exhibitions on key architects including Richard Rogers, John Pawson and Hadid herself, excels in. ZHA also has experience in running an exhibition space, having recently opened a gallery in Goswell Road, Clerkenwell.
Prior to opening as the Design Museum in 1989, the riverside building was a banana warehouse, a leftover from the time when this part of London was a thriving port.
Images of the Design Museum's new home
Photo by Pete
