When the Museum of London first invited contractors to bid for work on its new home, it was a big moment for the London construction industry. The plan was to move the museum out of its 1970s building at London Wall and into the old General Market and Poultry Market buildings at West Smithfield, which had been standing empty for years.
Saving buildings rather than replacing them
The design team of Stanton Williams, Asif Khan and Julian Harrap Architects took on a hugely complicated job: repairing Victorian market halls and a 1960s structure, opening up vast underground spaces, and turning them into galleries without losing the character that made them worth saving. The museum has since been renamed the London Museum and is due to open at Smithfield at the end of November 2026.
The original idea of building a concert hall on the old museum site at London Wall was dropped along the way, which is a reminder that big projects change shape over time.
The same principle on a smaller scale
We don't build museums, but the thinking is familiar. Plenty of the houses we work on in Croydon and Bromley are worth keeping, even if the layout isn't working. Opening up rooms on new steel, adding a sympathetic extension, or converting a loft can give an old building another hundred years, often for less than knocking down and starting again.
The craft is the same at any size: understand the existing structure, support it properly while you change it, and respect what's already there.
If you've got a house with good bones and a layout that doesn't suit you, have a look at our structural and steel work or refurbishments, or call us on 07786 254637.