The Migration Museum has received permission from the City of London to permanently settle in London’s Square Mile.
Plans for a new development at 65 Crutched Friars were approved yesterday, serving as the museum’s home for the foreseeable future.
The museum’s CEO, Sophie Henderson, believed that the museum found an ideal location to increase their range of engagement.
She said: “Now more than ever, we need an inspiring space for diverse audiences from across London and beyond to come together to explore, discuss and reflect on key questions around migration, identity and belonging.
“We are creating Britain’s missing museum, exploring how the movement of people to and from the City, London and the UK has shaped who we all are today – as individuals, as communities and as nations.
“And there is no more fitting location for the Migration Museum than in the heart of the City of London, Britain’s gateway to the world for thousands of years.”
What is the Migration Museum?
The Migration Museum dedicates to the display of UK’s migration history, with stories of diverse people moving to and out of the country.
The museum settled in various locations during its 10-year history, currently based at Lewisham Shopping Centre.
Even with the move, they hope to keep their base in Lewisham until 2026, as the area brought them plenty of visitors and engagement over their period.
The plans came from a partnership with real estate agency Dominus, whose founder committed to the museum due to his history of migration.
Sukhpal Singh Ahluwalia, the aforementioned founder, said: “We are immensely grateful to everyone who has helped us to reach this stage, and to Dominus’ belief in the importance of our museum and the support they are providing in helping us to make it a reality.
“We look forward to continuing to work closely in partnership with them to help to make our vision for a permanent Migration Museum for Britain a reality.”
Henderson was grateful for Dominus’ partnership and support in the application process.
The Migration Museum’s new home
The new 21-storey development gives the museum three floors with space for exhibitions, events, a shop and café that they plan to showcase different cultures of food with.
It replaces an old five-storey office, that was no longer considered financially viable to keep even with refurbishment by City of London.
The plan coincided with the City of London Corporation’s Destination City initiative, an effort to revitalise the Square Mile as a tourist location.
Shravan Joshi, the corporation’s Planning Applications Sub-Committee Chairman, said: “As a melting pot of different nationalities and backgrounds, the City is a fitting home for the Migration Museum as it celebrates diversity and inclusion.
“This is a key part of the City’s success so we are proud to provide a permanent home for the Migration Museum given its national significance.
“It will also add to our existing cultural offer and support our Destination City vision to make the Square Mile a seven-day-a-week visitor destination.”
A majority of the remaining space is for housing, from shared student accommodation to studio apartments.
Featured image credit: Matthew Plowright and the Migration Museum
