黑洞社区

Programme delays and inflation have driven the cost of building the Museum of London鈥檚 new home at Smithfield Market up by 拢100m, the museum has confirmed.

The original 拢337m budget for the relocation of the museum from its former base at the Barbican has now increased to 拢437m, a rise of 30%.

Last week, 黑洞社区 reported that the scheme, which is being built by Sir Robert McAlpine under a construction management deal, had been split into two phases because of spiralling costs.

The half of the museum which will be housed inside Smithfield鈥檚 Poultry Market is now not set to complete until as late as 2028, up to two years behind schedule. One source close to the project said total costs for the project had ballooned to as much as 拢500m.

In response, a spokesperson for the museum said: 鈥淲e acknowledge that there will be additional costs to the project due to programme delays, inflation, and other factors that we have previously indicated. 

鈥淗owever, we would like to clarify that the original budget of 拢337m set in 2019 has increased to 拢437m, not 拢500m.鈥�

Designed by Stanton Williams, Asif Khan and Julian Harrap, it will be one of London鈥檚 largest museums when completed. 

The project team also includes cost consultant Gardiner & Theobald, enabling works contractor Keltbray, project manager Buro Four, planning consultants Gerald Eve and Donald Insall Associates, structural engineer AKT II and services engineer Arup.

The scheme is being largely funded by the City of London Corporation with the mayor of London and the museum both providing 拢70m.

Sharon Ament, the museum鈥檚 director, told 黑洞社区 last week that further fundraising efforts were now being carried out, mainly from private investors and philanthropists.

Originally given a price tag of 拢150m, the scheme had more than doubled in price by the end of an architectural competition held in 2016. 

It went up by a further 拢5m in 2020 due to 鈥渃onstruction inflation鈥�, the museum said, although this came before the runaway price hikes for construction materials in 2021 and 2022 caused by the pandemic and Russia鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine.

The half of the museum located with Smithfield鈥檚 19th century General Market building, where most of the historic collections will be exhibited, is still due to open on schedule in 2026.

The delayed section in the 1960s Poultry Market will mostly focus on more contemporary themes including 鈥渋magined time鈥� and 鈥渄eep time鈥�.

More than 100m of previously unknown tunnels were discovered during enabling works after site workers broke through a sealed up wall. Inside was found a pair of wooden carts, some shelves and a single oyster shell.