The City of London Corporation, which governs the Square Mile, has committed to utterly transforming the business district over the next few years. The ‘Destination City’ programme wants to turn the financial hub into a ‘must visit’ destination seven days a week, meaning less of a focus on weekday city slickers and more tourism and community projects.
St Paul’s Gyratory is getting a vast tree-filled revamp, the shiny new London Museum is due to open its doors in Smithfield by the end of this year, the Barbican Centre is modernising its spaces and Leadenhall Market has ambitions to become a new foodie destination. And now the Corporation has revealed new plans, this time concerning annexe buildings in west Smithfield.
The annexe is a set of Victorian-era market, storage and engine structures near Farringdon. Comprising a fish market, cold store ‘red house’ and engine house, the site has been in disuse since the mid-1970s. Threat of demolition loomed until it was decided that the London Museum would sit within the block.
According to plans revealed this week (April 20), from early 2028 the annexe will also be home to a new food market. Independent vendors and outdoor installations are planned to ‘complement activities at the neighbouring London Museum and enrich the visitor experience of the area’, the City of London said.
We’ll have to wait until the planning application is approved to get the full lowdown, but the market is expected to feature a ‘mix of established and start-up chefs, that represent the best of independent London and showcase the diversity of cuisine, culture and history across the city’.
The upcoming foodie hotspot is just phase one of the city’s plans for the row of buildings in Smithfield. The second phase, set for completion in 2030, will see a new boutique hotel and ground-floor retail, food and drink space pop up on-site. Plus, a ‘landscaped pocket park’ will replace a disused service area, offering a green space for community events, digital art and live performances.
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