museum of london shortlist includes BIG + caruso st john

the museum of london has revealed concepts from the six architectural teams shortlisted to complete a new building for the institution at its new west smithfield site. the museum, which has a £130-150 million ($185-215 million USD) construction budget, aims to regenerate a historic part of the city through securing the future of a series of heritage buildings. the project will relaunch the museum, which has seen its audiences soar in recent years. in alphabetical order, the shortlisted teams are as follows:

BIG – bjarke ingels group with hawkins\brown
all images courtesy of malcolm reading consultants

BIG – bjarke ingels group with hawkins\brown, donald insall and gehl architects
caruso st john architects with alan baxter associates
diener & diener architekten with sergison bates architects, east architecture and graphic thought facility
lacaton & vassal architectes with pernilla ohrstedt studio, allies and morrison and alan baxter associates
stanton williams with asif khan, julian harrap, J&L gibbons and plan A
studio milou architecture with RL&associés, axis architects, and alan baxter associates

each of the designs will now go on display at the museum of london — from june 10 to august 5, 2016 — giving the public an opportunity to learn more about the schemes and the museum’s move to west smithfield. the shortlisted entries will be judged by a panel of well-known figures, chaired by governor of the museum of london and television and radio presenter, evan davis. the winning team is expected to be announced later this summer, following ratification from the museum of london’s board of governors. the team will then work with the museum to refine its original design concept. the museum intends to submit a planning application for the site in 2017 and deliver the new museum by 2021.

caruso st john architects

‘every time I visit smithfield I come away buzzing with ideas and the energy of the place,’ said sharon ament, director of the museum of london. ‘it is clear from their concepts for a new museum that the architectural teams have been equally captivated by smithfield’s vivid history and vibrant character. these six concepts which suggest a fascinating range of options will give the jury plenty to consider when deciding upon an architect to work with us to design the new museum.’

caruso st john architects

the museum of london cares for more than six million objects in its collections and attracts over one million visitors each year. the institution’s ambition is to be at the heart of a new, well connected cultural hub and be one of london’s most visited museums. with the move to west smithfield, the museum will relinquish its current building, designed by powell & moya and opened by queen elizabeth II in 1976. located on london wall – with fragments of the roman wall just outside its entrance – it forms part of the barbican complex of buildings created in the 1960s and 1970s. scroll down for more images of each of the shortlisted proposals.

diener & diener architekten with sergison bates architects