黑洞社区

The architect behind a museum originally designed to celebrate the history of women in the East End of London has said he was 鈥渄uped鈥�, after the museum instead opened as a 鈥楯ack the Ripper鈥� museum.

Waugh Thisleton Architects鈥� founder and director Andrew Waugh criticised the project 鈥� owned by a former diversity boss at Google 鈥� after the scheme his practice designed to celebrate women became focussed on the life of the infamous Victorian murderer who preyed on female victims.

Waugh said: 鈥淚t is salacious, misogynist rubbish. The local community was duped, we were duped. You do rely on the moral fibre of your client but you should also be able to rely on the planning system.

鈥淭hey came to us and said they had no money but that this is a real heart-felt project. It is incredibly important to celebrate women in politics in the East End. We really ran with it.

鈥淲e did it at a bargain basement fee, at cost-price because we thought it was a great thing to do.

鈥淲e submitted it for planning and never heard another thing [鈥�] When we heard it was going to be turned into a Jack the Ripper museum we contacted the owner but got nothing back not a dickie bird.鈥�

A planning team from Tower Hamlet鈥檚 Council has launched an investigation into whether the museum broke the planning laws after new of the Jack the Ripper theme made headlines world wide. A petition calling on Tower Hamlets to revoke consent for the scheme attracted over 1,800 signatures in just four days.

A Tower Hamlets council spokesperson said: 鈥淭he council was advised at that time that the premises were intended to be used as a Women鈥檚 Museum and supporting information was submitted with the application to suggest that the vision of the museum was to tell the story of women of the East End of London. Ultimately, however, the council has no control in planning terms of the nature of the museum.鈥�