London design museum new building is called “cathedral of design” by it’s long-standing ambitious founder Sir Terence Conran. Opened in 2016.The new Design Museum in London opens its doors to the public on the 24 November 2016.
At the press launch on 17 November, he went on to describe the Museum in Kensington High Street as a “cathedral of design” intended to “create a world class space, truly international, with the size and scope for the serious promotion of art, design and architecture.”
The opening of the London design museum included the completion of three residential buildings, also designed by OMA and Allies and Morrison. De Graaf wryly observed: “The site was dead, and listed – the two often go hand-in-hand.” To re-invigorate the outside area, West 8 designed new landscaping, and the new residential blocks now flank the building.”
Inside the building, the existing floors were declared unsuitable for the required load, and this is where the conversion became radical. The designers decided to keep the existing hyperbolic paraboloid roof and rebuild the rest, creating an open area.
From the visitor’s perspective, the Museum retains the look of a 1960s London building, as the new exterior is detailed to resemble the original blue skin of the building. However, on entering, the fresh elements of the design become prominent, and the arched roof forms a striking centrepiece. An immediately noticeable aspect is the use of oak staircases in the open central area, with one section of the main staircase comprised of bench-style leather seating. Museum steps are often used by visitors as an impromptu resting place, and the idea of incorporating this into the design as a conscious element adds a sense of ease and friendliness.
New building is had many innovative ideas on use of the glass in the creation of an open and transparent space. Glass doors on each level reveal usually-concealed areas such as offices, while the double-height basement features a dedicated museum collection store with a window, allowing visitors a behind-the-scenes glimpse of pieces not on display.