Hackney Council names designer for history museum upgrade

The practice, a sister company of Pringle Richards Sharratt, specialises in galleries and museum design. It topped an undisclosed shortlist to win the single-stage procurement.

The practice will now draw up plans to refurbish and upgrade the museum, which is located inside Hodder Associates’ Hackney Central Library (pictured) next to Hackney Town Hall. Images of the scheme are expected to be revealed in the autumn.

The project will create a new permanent exhibition inside the museum, exploring local ‘migration and settlement from prehistory to modern day’ along with a new community room and refurbished shop.

The council received an initial £266,782 National Lottery Heritage Fund grant to move the project forward in November last year.

Hackney Museum was set up in 1986 to document the borough’s unique heritage and diverse communities. The museum holds more than 8,500 items in its collections. However, its visitor displays are now more than 20 years old and in need of an update. It moved to its present ground-floor site in 2002.

Key aims of the refurbishment include engaging new audiences through ‘imaginative and stimulating’ displays. The revamp is planned to complete in 2027.