London Museum seeks design team for subterranean ‘Deep Time’ gallery

The winning team selected for the estimated £300,000 contract will lead the design of Deep Time, a major new basement gallery and collections store beneath the 1963 Poultry Market which – along with the neighbouring 1883 General Market building – is being transformed into a new home for the museum by Stanton Williams and Asif Khan.

The winning team will be responsible for 3D exhibition design, 2D graphic design, and input into audio-visual elements, coordinating with a wider consultant team to deliver a multipurpose and highly interactive space that will serve as both a core exhibition and the principal collections store for the Museum.

Joshua Green, the museum’s head of design said: ‘At London Museum’s new Smithfield site, beneath the soaring dome of the 1960s Poultry Market, our former Cold Stores will open in 2028 as an evocative setting like no other. This unique space will house a spectacular experience that brings the inner-workings of our stores and collection to life: Deep Time.

‘In contrast to the Victorian General Market’s focus on curated stories, Deep Time will plunge visitors into the raw, immense essence of London Museum’s vast collection. The living, breathing heart; the engine room of the museum.

‘We’re searching for visionary designers who can craft innovative, accessible, and compelling visitor journeys, using creativity and cutting-edge design to bring our collection to life. This is a chance to work on an incredible experience that invigorates our collection and store within the Poultry Market and be part of one of the most ambitious cultural redevelopment projects of the coming decade.’

Stanton Williams and Asif Khan, working with conservation expert Julian Harrap, won the contest to design the museum’s new home in July 2016. Last year the London Museum confirmed it is to open its doors in 2026 – although later stages of the redevelopment are not set to complete until 2028.

German studio Atelier Brückner was chosen to design the museum’s first fit-out commission involving a subterranean Past Time exhibition in 2019. In February, the museum launched a search for a team to create a ‘spectacular exhibition with a ‘compelling and unforgettable’ 700m² part of the General Market’s basement known as The Vaults.

The ‘Deep Time’ design commission is the latest opportunity to emerge from the Museum of London’s £437 million West Smithfield development. A previous tender to create the exhibition space was announced in 2020 however the brief has since been updated. The winning team will create a new gallery and collections store in spaces beneath the 1963 TP Bennett and Ove Arup-designed Poultry Market which neighbours the General Market.

The lead designer will coordinate all exhibition design works, integrating 3D and 2D design, mechanical interactives, and digital/AV software and hardware design. The role includes oversight of mechanical and electrical services beyond base build, and duties as Principal Designer under Building Regulations.

The successful team will work closely with the museum’s project manager and other directly appointed consultants, including lighting, fire, sustainability, security, and accessibility specialists.

The project will be delivered in stages aligned with the RIBA Plan of Work, from concept design through to construction and handover. The lead designer is expected to take a proactive approach to sustainable design, ensuring materials are responsibly sourced, and all new designs are modular, durable, and capable of supporting future gallery refreshes.

The gallery will also require creative integration of infrastructural elements, such as storage equipment and restricted access spaces, within the visitor experience.

Bids for this commission will be evaluated 70 per cent on quality and 30 per cent on price. The total contract value is £300,000 excluding VAT (£330,000 including VAT), with the contract running from 17 November 2025 to 2 June 2028.

Applicants must hold employer’s liability insurance of £5 million, public liability insurance of £5 million and professional indemnity insurance of £5 million.