London’s legendary Smithfield Market has had its fair share of air time recently, having been confirmed as the future home of the new London Museum a few years back. But a specific section of Smithfield that hasn’t had quite so much time in the spotlight is the group of historic buildings, known collectively as the Annexe buildings.
The fate of these four former market, storage, and engine structures has been undecided since they were left abandoned in the mid-1970s. But they could soon be getting a bit of well-deserved TLC, as the City of London Corporation has recently revealed its rather ambitious plans to transform the Annexe buildings into a dynamic new destination – complete with a food market, a boutique hotel, and a pocket park.
The Annexe buildings date back over 1000 years, having set up shop between 1886 and 1899. But the City of London Corporation’s two-phase plan will transform these Victorian-era into a vibrant cultural hub that will both honour their heritage and give them a new lease of life.
Subject to planning permission, phase one of the plans will see an exciting new food market open its doors within the ancient buildings. The new culinary landmark will ‘complement activities at the neighbouring London Museum and enrich the visitor experience’. Specific details are limited but Londoners can expect to find a market which has been inspired by Smithfield’s lengthy background as a ‘kitchen of the universe’. Serving up a curated combination of ‘established and start-up chefs’, the market offering will showcase the diversity of London’s cuisine and culture.
Phase two of the regeneration (which has been designed by Heatherwick Studio) will include the delivery of a boutique hotel, a ground floor retail, food, and beverage spot, and a landscaped ‘pocket park’. Phase one is set to be completed in early 2028 and phase two is expected to follow in 2030.
Chris Hayward, Policy Chairman at the City of London Corporation, said: “Smithfield has always been London’s kitchen, a place of trade, energy and life for over a thousand years. The Annexe redevelopment honours that history while giving this remarkable corner of the Square Mile a bold new future.
“Alongside the new London Museum and the Barbican, it will help make Smithfield somewhere Londoners and visitors come back to again and again not for one particular reason, but because there is always something extraordinary to discover. This is Destination City in action.”
