Demolition of the old Museum of London will go ahead

Published on 17th May 2024 by ianVisits in Architecture

The old Museum of London site on London Wall will be demolished after the government decided not to call in the planning application for review.

Last month, the City of London approved the plans, which will see the 1970s Museum of London building and the monolithic Bastion House office block that sits next to it demolished to be replaced with new public spaces and offices.

At the very last minute, though, Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, issued an Article 31 Holding Direction, which put a hold on demolition until his office had reviewed the plans.

The City of London has announced that the Secretary of State has lifted the Section 31 Holding Direction on the London Wall West planning application and decided not to call-in the application.

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The City says it will now proceed with issuing permission for works to commence on site. Based on the information provided when planning permission was originally granted, demolition of the existing site is expected to begin in 2028, with completion scheduled for late 2033.

The ground floor plaza between the two new offices (c) Diller Scofidio + Renfro / City of London

The replacement and renamed London Museum is due to open at Smithfield in early 2026.

Tagged with City of London, london wall, The London Museum

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6 Comments on “Demolition of the old Museum of London will go ahead”

  2. Hardly surprising that Gove would side with the City. There are so many holes in the application and the City’s process, it really needs an independent judgement. They are marking their own homework.

    Reply

  3. When in my cups and bemoaning the loss of Thamesmead I am accustomed to saying “they wouldn’t demolish the Barbican would they”… I shall have to find another slogan.

    Reply

    • The Barbican isn’t going anywhere, just the museum building that was squeezed in the cracks, and Bastion House, which as far as I know isn’t part of the complex and doesn’t look like it.

  4. Right decision, too many buildings protected when they are nothing special and their raison d’etre has gone. The City needs to be able to evolve and develop while safeguarding what’s important and now can.

    Reply

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