The new Museum of London will open on November 28th after ten years of construction.

The new Museum of London will open its doors on November 28, after ten years of construction and an investment of £437 million (approximately €505 million). Located in the historic former Smithfield market, it will replace the Barbican Centre, which was deemed too small and difficult to access.

A new place to tell the story of London

The museum will trace the history of the British capital from the Paleolithic era to the present day. Visitors will be able to discover Roman remains, Elizabethan jewelry, works by Banksy, as well as spaces dedicated to the Great Fire of 1666, the Blitz of World War II, and the 2012 Olympic Games.

A large-scale heritage project

The former Victorian market halls in Smithfield, built in 1883 by architect Horace Jones, had been unoccupied since the 1990s. Their restoration required extensive work, including the cleaning of 10.000 square meters of stonework and the reinforcement of the roofs. The project benefited from the support of several patrons, including the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Bloomberg Philanthropies.

A phased opening until 2028

The complex will continue to expand with the transformation of the adjacent former poultry market, which will house storage facilities and temporary exhibition spaces from 2028. Rehabilitated by the firms Stanton Williams, Asif Khan, and Julian Harrap, the new London Museum is set to become one of the leading cultural institutions in the British capital.