Walthamstow museum to undergo £4.5m redesign

The Vestry House Museum in Walthamstow, north-east London, is to undergo a £4.5m redesign that will add creative workspaces, increase exhibition space, and adapt its historic buildings and gardens.

Waltham Forest Council has given planning approval for the ‘deep reuse’ design proposed by architecture firm Studio Weave, which will see a modern ground-floor extension partly demolished and replaced with a single-storey extension.

The museum, which tells the story of Waltham Forest through a collection of more than 100,000 historical objects, will also be made more accessible, and a café and new event space will be added.

Director of Studio Weave, Eddie Blake, said the aim was "to open up the building, both practically and metaphorically, making Vestry House more accessible to the widest possible audience".

He added: "We see our role as part of a continuum, looking backwards as well as looking forwards. So the new structural elements are demountable, helping future generations to reuse them.

"Wherever the building allows, we have peeled back historic layers, revealing the history and engaging in a conversation across generations."

Waltham Forest Council is funding the work through its Levelling Up Fund programme.

Construction is expected to begin towards the end of 2024, with a scheduled reopening in early 2026.