- The Museum of London today announces that ATELIER BRÜCKNER has won an international competition to help shape the Past Time galleries as part of the new Museum of London.
- The display spaces will comprise of over 2,500 sq m of vast, atmospheric space underneath the General Market building in West Smithfield, which has not been open to the public since the late 20th century.
- The shortlist comprised ZMMA, Casson Mann, Nissen Richards Studio, Atelier Brückner, Ralph Applebaum Associates, David Kohn Architects.
ATELIER BRÜCKNER, as part of the wider design team, will have the opportunity to help shape the design and content of the ‘Past Time’ (working title) display areas, which offer a unique, history-rich location to ignite London’s story.
ATELIER BRÜCKNER is a highly-regarded and award-winning international design studio. Their projects over the past decade include the Museum of Archaeology in Chemnitz, the Textile and Industry Museum in Augsburg, the Macallan Visitor Centre in Craigellachie, the Museum of Ethnology in Geneva, galleries at the National Maritime Museum in Amsterdam, and many more, and they are currently also working on the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo. This will be their inaugural project in London.
Located in vast, atmospheric subterranean spaces, this space will likely be the only museum gallery in the world to have a live railway running through it. The Thameslink trains in and out of Farringdon pass by the south-west corner, carrying thousands of passengers every hour at peak times. Integral to this area will be a dedicated space to showcase The Cheapside Hoard, for the first time since its exhibition in 2013, and treasures from the Goldsmiths’ Company’s Collection. The Goldsmiths’ Company Charity is a Founding Partner of the new museum and has pledged £10 million towards the project.
Sharon Ament, Director, Museum of London, said: “ATELIER BRÜCKNER offered a deeply thoughtful and
exciting approach to design. They impressed us with their sophisticated
thinking about how to stage the London Collection and balance that with the world-class
experience we want our visitors to have. Their commitment to involving local
communities in helping to shape the space is also something that chimes
perfectly with our ethos here at the museum. For me, the Past Time galleries
must be able to sit beside the best permanent galleries and displays in the
world, it must have an enduring and universal quality.”
The new Museum of London will transform what a museum for London could and should be and will be designed by award winning architectural team Stanton Williams and Asif Khan with conservation architect Julian Harap. The project is a once-in-a-generation project that will breathe new life into a series of historic buildings at West Smithfield, creating a world-class visitor destination attracting over two million visitors a year.
-ENDS-
NOTES FOR EDITORS
For more press information please contact:
Laura Bates, Assistant Head of Communications at the Museum of London on 07966 990816 or lbates@museumoflondon.org.uk.
About The Museum of London
The Museum of London tells the ever-changing story of this great world city and its people, from 450,000 BC to the present day. Our galleries, exhibitions, displays and activities seek to inspire a passion for London and provide a sense of the vibrancy that makes the city such a unique place.
The museum is open daily 10am – 6pm and is FREE to all, and you can explore the Museum of London with collections online – home to 90,000 objects with more being added. www.museumoflondon.org.uk.
About the New Museum Project
The Museum of London has embarked on an epic journey to create a new museum. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reconceive what a museum for London can be.
Housed in astounding but currently dilapidated market buildings in Smithfield, the new museum will stand in the heart of one of the city’s most historic and creative localities.
Centred on the 1883 General Market, our future home will comprise over 26,000 square metres – doubling our current public space. Whilst our existing building at London Wall has no street-level access and can feel isolated, the West Smithfield buildings are grounded in the daily life of the capital, and are easily accessible from all directions.
Our ambition is to create a museum that is truly London, that represents the openness of the city to all, and that is appealing and meaningful for the diverse population of London as well as for visitors from many different parts of the UK and the world. The London Collection will sit at the heart of it all, representing more that 10,000 years of history.
An internationally-renowned design team led by Stanton Williams Architects, Asif Khan Studio and Julian Harrap Conservation Architects has been working with the museum team since 2016. We are now looking for exhibition designers to join this extraordinary project.
The Goldsmiths’ Company and Goldsmiths’ Company Charity
The Goldsmiths’ Company, one of the major City Livery Companies, received its first Royal Charter in 1327. Today the purpose of the Goldsmiths’ Company is to contribute to national life by supporting its related crafts, industry and trade and through wider charitable and educational activity. The Goldsmiths’ Company’s collection of silver is one of the largest of its kind in the UK, with pieces dating from 1350 to the present day. The Company is the principal patron of UK contemporary jewellers and silversmiths, playing an important role in supporting the craft by funding apprenticeships, assisting with the technical training of aspiring designer-makers, and commissioning new work.
The Goldsmiths’ Company Charity worked with 137 charity partners in 2018/29 education, culture, young people, prisoner reintegration and an ageing population and gave away £2.1m in grant funding.
