Design Museum Moves West

The Commonwealth Institute, a neglected 60s structure in Kensington, will be the new home of London's Design Museum.

By Estella Shardlow on Thursday 26th January, 2012

Despite being deemed London’s second most important post-war building by English Heritage, the Commonwealth Institute has been lying unused and empty for the past ten years.

Now the Grade 2* listed building is to be given fresh lease of life as the new site for the Design Museum, it was announced in a press conference yesterday.

The museum, which was established in 1982 by Sir Terence Conran and Stephen Bayley, will relocate from its riverside setting in Shad Thames to Kensington High Street in an £80 million project.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “Housed in an iconic architectural landmark and offering state of the art learning facilities, this new museum puts design firmly in the spotlight and will become a must see destination for visitors as well as designers and students."

The current state of the Commonwealth Institute is a far cry from the celebrated Modernist symbol that was officially opened in 1962 by Queen Elizabeth II. Comprising of a large art gallery, theatre, cinema and gardens, Sir William Robert’s creation boasted all the mid-century hallmarks of angular contours, concrete walkways and dynamic open spaces.

Its most distinctive architectural feature was a swooping copper roof constructed from 25-tonnes of metal imported from Rhodesia. Indeed, as symbol of the newly formed Commonwealth, all the materials used were sourced from various Sovereign nations and 50 flags representing these countries flew outside.

The design team tasked with restoring the Institute into a 21st century museum includes Lord Cunliffe, a leading member of the original architectural team for the Commonwealth Institute in 1958, and by James Sutherland, the building’s original structural engineer.

Giving the museum three times more space to showcase its unique collection of 20th century design, its directors anticipate that visitor numbers will double to 500,000 a year when the new premises open in 2014.

Read Stephen Bayley's account of how he and Sir Terence Conran set up the Design Museum 30 years ago.