Markets are great places for people – that’s why we’re opening a museum in one. Sharon Ament, Director of the Museum of London, shares the vision for the new London Museum in Smithfield's Victorian General Market.
A Rich History of Trade and Gathering
Londoners love a market, and markets have been at the centre of it all since the days of Londinium. Indeed, one of the very first was in the Roman Forum, now under the Guildhall in the City of London. Markets are where we gather, gossip, eat and eavesdrop, haggle and hang around. What could be better, then, for the new home of London Museum?
On 28 November this year, we will proudly open the doors to London Museum in Smithfield’s Victorian General Market. Smithfield has been a site of cultural and commercial exchange since at least the 1100s. It was home to the famous Bartholomew Fair, which ran for 700 years. The chaos of its former open livestock market – a riot of cattle and human activity – is captured in the pages of Charles Dickens. Then in the late 19th century, grand new market buildings were designed by City architect Sir Horace Jones, cementing the area’s importance as a centre for trade.
Transforming a Derelict Space
With such a rich history, we seized the chance to transform the derelict General Market into a space for Londoners to celebrate and learn about their city – past and present. We want London Museum to embody that legacy, to be a marketplace for ideas and discussion, a free social space where people can meet, eat and debate, or just rest and reflect.
The existing architecture has also challenged us to ask what a museum for London could be. We asked this question of 100,000 Londoners — schoolchildren, artists, writers, historians, community groups and many more — their answers have helped shape our galleries and events.
Galleries and Experiences
Whichever door people use to come into the museum, they will encounter stories about London. Real Time, a former street, is enriched by data about London in the moment. Our Time on the former trading floor will house eclectic stories of London in living memory, with displays anchoring a central hub of events and activities.
Our permanent Past Time gallery, set at Roman street level, will take visitors deep into the city’s history, from the lives of the earliest prehistoric inhabitants to the Romans who founded the city, and defining moments such as the Great Fire in 1666 and the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics. This is not history at a distance. We want visitors to meet the people of the past and understand how they shaped the city we share today.
Smithfield's Transformation
This is not just a new chapter for London Museum. The whole area of Smithfield is alive with change. The neighbouring Annexe is set for redevelopment to launch in 2028, just as we’re due to open our temporary exhibitions spaces in the Poultry Market. Nearby, work at St Paul’s Cathedral will create new public space, and major plans are also taking shape for the Barbican. Together, these changes will help breathe a new form of life into one of the most historic quarters of the city, that builds on the hurly burly of the meat markets.
An Invitation to Share
London’s history is being made every day, and the new London Museum is just one story among many. But, like all good stories, it’s one to be shared. We hope you can join us on November 28th and be as proud as we are, of our new home. A place that has always brought people together.
Sharon Ament is the Director of the Museum of London.
