Designs for the new Museum of London, which will occupy a former market building in West Smithfield, have been revealed.
The budget for the project has risen from its original £250m to £332m because more work will now be needed to convert the 19th century Smithfield buildings than was expected.
The Museum of London revealed the designs by Stanton Williams, Asif Khan and Julian Harrap Architects ahead of a public consultation. It plans to submit a new planning application by the end of the year, with a move planned in 2024.
The City of London and the Mayor of London’s office have pledged £180m towards the construction of the new museum, which will replace its current home at London Wall, which is being demolished to make way for a new concert hall.
The new museum is expected to feature a set of spiral escalators that carry visitors underground to rooms that used to store produce when Smithfield was a working market. There are also proposals to link the underground spaces with a tunnel under the Thameslink tracks that runs below the site.
