16 Apr 2014
Wright & Wright Architects to design Geffrye Museum development
BY Katie Buckley
The Geffrye Museum has named Wright & Wright Architects to lead the design of its £14m (€17m, US$23m) development scheme.
The project will create new spaces for the museum’s collections and library – set to feature a gallery, cafe and conference facilities as well as a rejuvenation of the current public spaces. A planning application will be submitted by 2016 and the opening of the redeveloped museum is set for 2020.
The Geffrye Museum is devoted to the history of the home, showing how homes and gardens reflect changes in society, behaviour, style and taste over the past 400 years.
Wright & Wright will head up the museum development following David Chipperfield Architects’ original £18.9m (€23m, US$32m) plans being rejected by Hackney Council in May 2013. Chipperfield’s proposal was refused on the grounds that it would “result in the loss of architectural and historical features on a listed building, which would adversely affect the character of the museum”.
The Wright & Wright scheme will build on some of the ideas from Chipperfield’s original masterplan designed in 2010, but this time retaining a former pub on Cremer Street, which would have been demolished under the old scheme and was previously a bone of contention.
Specialising in conservation, working with historic buildings and dealing with sensitive sites, Wright & Wright were hailed by David Dewing, director of the Geffrye, who said the museum was “confident they [Wright & Wright] will take enormous care to preserve the wonderful and unique qualities of the Geffrye, while introducing new elements that are essential for the museum’s future”.
Following more than 140 expressions of interest and more than 50 applications, the shortlist for the design included; Alison Brooks Architects, Haworth Tompkins, Pringle Richards Sharratt Architects and van Heyningen & Haward Architects.
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