The National Maritime Musuem: Time and a place

Ike Ijeh - 

There can be few more intimidating places to insert contemporary architecture in London than Greenwich. The Queen’s House was the first classical building ever built in the British Isles.

The Old Royal Naval College is considered by many architectural historians to be Wren’s greatest work. It forms the centrepiece of a spectacular classical ensemble referred to by renowned critic Nikolaus Pevsner as “one of the finest baroque set-pieces in Europe”.

As well as Wren and Inigo Jones, some of the most influential figures in English architecture also left their mark here, including Hawksmoor and Vanbrugh. And to top it all, Greenwich is one of only four Unesco World Heritage Sites in London.

None of this, however, fazed architects Purcell Miller Tritton and CF Møller which have just completed a £35m extension to the National Maritime Museum: the Sammy Ofer Wing.

“Obviously we were conscious of the world class location and heritage,” explains PMT project architect Elizabeth Smith, “but we remained committed to our core concepts, which were to present the museum with a new facade onto Greenwich Park, to provide a clearer link between the main museum and the Royal Observatory, to deliver contemporary architecture that was sensitive to its historic surroundings and to provide up-to-date facilities that allow visitors to experience the full breadth of what the museum can offer.”

This has been achieved against the backdrop of a period of unprecedented notoriety and publicity for the south London borough. Greenwich Park is the controversial venue for the equestrian events during next year’s Olympic Games.

The Queen is set to elevate the borough to “royal” status next year as part of her Diamond Jubilee. And work is proceeding apace on Grimshaw Architects’ restoration of the Cutty Sark tea clipper, also set to re-open next year.

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