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  1. Creating the New Design Museum

    The Design Museum in Shad Thames, London has welcomed over five million visitors since it opened in 1989, in a converted banana warehouse. Since then, it has helped shape the understanding of design of every kind. But it could do much more. There is now an opportunity to expand and build a Design Museum for the twenty-first century.

    We have spent the last four years carefully evaluating a range of options. The best way for the museum to realise its ambitions is to relocate to the former Commonwealth Institute on London’s Kensington High Street. This much loved modern landmark from the 1960s, a grade 2* listed building, has stood vacant for the past decade. It will be carefully remodelled for museum use by John Pawson. 

    The former Commonwealth Institute is regarded by English Heritage as second only to the Royal Festival Hall in its significance to post-war architecture in London. The Institute was designed by Robert Matthew Johnson Marshall and located next to Holland Park. It has a low brick plinth and is clad in grey-blue glazing. Above this swoops its most striking feature, the complex hyperbolic paraboloid copper roof. The shape of the roof reflects the original architects’ intention of creating a ‘tent in the park’.

    The transformation of the building into a new home for the Design Museum is scheduled to be completed in late 2014. It will offer three times more exhibition space, vastly improved learning facilities and a dedicated space in which to display the museum’s Collection. It will be the world’s leading place for inspiring contemporary design, an international showcase for the many creative design skills at which Britain excels.

    The Design Museum is a charity that generates over 95 per cent of its runing costs from admissions, trading, membership, donations and sponsors. The Heritage Lottery Fund and a number of generous individuals, including Sit Terence Conran, are supporting the building of a bigger, better Design Museum. Get involved, support us and help us to realise the New Design Museum.

    HERE IS HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED:

    • Post onto the New Design Museum tumblr page
    • Sign up to receive updates on the project by email
    • Follow us on Twitter #newdesignmuseum
    • Become a Design Museum Member
    • Visit the former Commonwealth Institute during Open House on 17 and 18 September 2011
    • Share your pictures of the former Commonwealth Institute on Flickr
    • Fill out a response card when you visit the Design Museum
    • Become a volunteer: volunteer@designmuseum.org