The Museum of London will undergo a £250million revamp that will transform it into the country’s first 24 hour museum.
The new Farringdon site will open in 2023, allowing visitors to drop in at any time of day or night, the Daily Mail reports. Its location near nightclubs including Fabric will mean it fits into the late night economy of the area.
The museum’s director, Sharon Ament, said: “I can’t think of a more 24-hour site. I believe the Museum of London should try and be like London itself, and that really does mean that we have to be more open.”
According to The Times, the museum’s strategic plan is to “plug into” the 24-hour culture of the area.
£15 million of funding has been secured, of the £250 million target. £10 million will come from The Linbury Trust and another £5 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The museum will relocate from the nearby Brutalist Babican. Ament said the current site is “one of the least publicly accessible buildings in the world.” The new Farringdon site will be designed by architects Stanton Williams and Asif Khan.
The collection will be visible to passengers on the Thameslink, which travels directly underneath the site, via a see through tunnel. Ament is also looking to accommodate dogs so pet owners can come into the museum while on walks.
She says her vision is to create a “porous museum where you can flow in and out”.
With its new building, the Museum of London aims to double its visitor attendance from one million to more than two million and display more of its collection of over six million items, telling the story of London for the last 2000 years.
The rise of Lates, after hour events, has revolutionised how museums and attractions are reaching new audiences. They are also a great way of increasing engagement with visitors.
Images: Stanton Williams and Asif Khan
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6341329/Spend-night-Britains-24-hour-museum-Displays-including-lots-human-remains-planned.html
