London Museum architects

Designed by award-winning architectural team, Stanton Williams and Asif Khan with Julian Harrap Architects, the plans celebrate the historic buildings of Smithfield, while creating a unique and memorable visitor experience.

The vision for the new London Museum buildings balances a crisp and contemporary design with a strong recognition of the physicality and power of the existing spaces of the Smithfield site.

The design team comprises of Stanton Williams and Asif Khan, working with conservation architects Julian Harrap.

Meet the architects

London Museum Planning Images - Proposed Smithfield © Secchi Smith

Hear from the architects about what has inspired their plans

“The interesting thing about working on historic buildings is you have to learn about them, you almost have to take a journey into the past before we can take a journey into the future.”

Paul Williams, Stanton Williams

Stanton Williams

Stanton Williams is an award-winning design studio, renowned for its uplifting architecture and thoughtful approach to the restoration and adaptive reuse of heritage buildings. Founded by Alan Stanton OBE and Paul Williams OBE in 1985, it has successfully completed over 350 architectural, urban design, masterplanning, exhibition and interior design projects, winning more than 150 major awards, including the RIBA Stirling Prize for the Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge.

Recent projects include the transformation of the Musée d'arts de Nantes; the 'Open Up' regeneration of the Royal Opera House in London and a new public library for the city of Clermont-Ferrand in France, set within a former 18th century hospital building.

“We want the London Museum to be a museum where everyone belongs, and where the future of London is created.”

Asif Khan, Asif Khan Ltd.

Asif Khan

Asif Khan MBE leads a London-based architecture studio designing buildings, landscapes, exhibitions and installations internationally. Current projects include the Liverpool Canning Dock waterfront transformation, the Barbican Art Centre renewal and the new London Museum. In 2020 he completed the award winning public realm design of Dubai Expo 2020.

Khan’s practice explores how material and social innovations can fundamentally alter the way people experience and shape their environment. Asif Khan received an MBE for services to architecture in 2017 and serves as Deputy Chairman of the Design Museum, London. 

“This is going to be one of London’s great spaces.”

Julian Harrap, Julian Harrap Architects

Julian Harrap Architects

Julian Harrap Architects is a distinguished medium-sized architectural practice specialising in the repair and restoration of historic buildings, estates and landscapes and the design of extensions and new buildings in historic settings.

Their projects have included The Neues Museum in Berlin, The Museum de Lakenhal in Leiden, Museum Mayer van der Bergh in Antwerp and they are now completing their most recent contract, The Drawing Office at the Sir John Soane’s Museum, where they have worked for nearly four decades. 

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