Observed a planning application notice next to the Museum of London the other day proposing a new “pyramid atrium on the main roof of the museum”.
Oh hello, are we about to get some Louvre-esque Pyramid in London!
Sadly, not.
A perusal of the planning application reveals that there is an unused bit of open space within the museum structure — originally the caretaker’s garden — that they would be keen to convert into office space to be used during an upcoming refurbishment, and sticking a glass pyramid on top is their preferred method of letting daylight into the area.
As it happens, the cost of the glass pyramid is about the same as hiring some temporary office space during the works, and at least they then have a permanent room for future use.
And London gets a Tesco Value version of the French museum’s larger and more famous glass pyramid.
Good for them. The new glass roof matches the lines and style of the existing one, which covers the Highwalk atrium between the Museum entrance and the Barbican estate. The museum’s refit has been pretty good; as a direct neighbour of it I’m just waiting for them to clean the grotty white tiles on the exterior. Just imagine if the Barbican had been clad in the same white tiles as the Museum was, as had been originally mooted… yuk.