London's Migration Museum is getting a new permanent home, in the City of London.
Beginning life in 2013 as a series of pop-up events and exhibitions, the Migration Museum has been housed in Lewisham Shopping Centre since 2020, with a remit to 'explore how the movement of people to and from Britain across the ages has shaped who we are — as individuals, as communities, and as a nation.'
In 2023 the City of London Corporation announced that the museum will be given a permanent home as part of a new mixed development at 65 Crutched Friars, close to Fenchurch Street. The museum space will cover over 3,000 sqm on three floors and feature a cafe and shop. The building will also incorporate 769 units for student accommodation (35% 'affordable').
Sophie Henderson, CEO of the Migration Museum, said: "There is no more fitting location for the Migration Museum than in the heart of the City of London, Britain's gateway to the world for thousands of years.
"The Migration Museum will be an inspiring venue for diverse audiences from across the City, London and beyond to come together to explore, discuss and reflect on key questions around migration, identity and belonging; a go-to destination for schools, a resonant setting for training and skills-building and a relevant, welcoming space for a host of activities for the many communities we serve."
City of London Corporation Planning Applications Sub-Committee Chairman Shravan Joshi added that the development would bring new life to the eastern part of the City, and help bolster the 'Destination City' vision of making the Square Mile a seven-day-a-week visitor destination.
The museum is the brainchild of former immigration minister, Barbara Roche, who has brought enlightening and thought-provoking displays to the fore. One exhibition in 2017 told the personal stories of immigrants through the ages, and featured genuine — but non-functioning — life jackets worn by contemporary migrants in their bid to flee to safer parts of the world.
Work to replace the former 1980s office block at Crutched Friars, with the new 21-storey build has already commenced, with the new Migration Museum expected to open in 2027. In the meantime, head to Lewisham to see the current museum.
