This Is What The New Museum Of London Could Look Like

Laura Reynolds
By Laura Reynolds Last edited 22 months ago

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This Is What The New Museum Of London Could Look Like
Stanton Williams. Image: Malcolm Reading Consultants

Six shortlisted designs for the new Museum of London building in Smithfield have been released to the public.

The museum announced plans last year to leave its current building on London Wall and move into the empty Smithfield General Market buildings, with an aim of opening in the new location in 2021. Now receiving one million visitors each year, the museum has outgrown its current site.

Six architectural teams' designs from an international competition have made it onto the shortlist for the new museum.

The site being used by the museum includes Smithfield General Market, the Fish Market, the Red House and the Engine House.

The public can view each of the designs at a free public exhibition at the current Museum of London, running 10 June-5 August. The exhibition will give more detail about the moving plans.

The winning design will be judged by a panel of experts and is expected to be announced later this summer, with the museum due to submit a planning application for the West Smithfield site to the City of London Corporation in 2017.

See below for pictures of the interior and exterior designs by each shortlisted architect. There are some beautiful designs here, but we must say we're perplexed by Bjarke Ingels Group, who seem to have propped up the Lord Mayor's Coach vertically in a window. How do they plan to get in it? How will they get it out?!

Bjarke Ingels Group. Image: Malcolm Reading Consultants

We do like the fact their design is set at night, in the rain though.

Which is your favourite design? Let us know in the comments below.

Lacaton & Vassal Architects with Pernilla Ohrstedt Studio. Image: Malcolm Reading Consultants
Diener & Diener Architekten with Sergison Bates Architects. Image: Malcolm Reading Consultants
Diener & Diener Architekten with Sergison Bates Architects. Image: Malcolm Reading Consultants
Bjarke Ingels Group. Image: Malcolm Reading Consultants
Stanton Williams (see top of page for exterior design). Image: Malcolm Reading Consultants
Caruso St John Architects. Image: Malcolm Reading Consultants
Caruso St John Architects. Image: Malcolm Reading Consultants
Studio Milou architecture. Image: Malcolm Reading Consultants
Studio Milou architecture. Image: Malcolm Reading Consultants

Last Updated 20 May 2022