Sitting within the structure, or rather skin, of the Grade 2* listed former Commonwealth Institute from 1962, John Pawson’s design for the new Design Museum (2016) preserves and enhances the original qualities of the architecture, all while making space for the contemporary museum’s versatile programming. Using a palette of white, stone and more than 2700 sqm of Dinesen oak, he ushers in a tangible quality of lightness and visual harmony.
