It’s certainly no secret that London is rather keen on having the biggest, best, and brightest of things. And one such example is perched slap bang in the centre of the city in the form of the Great Court at the British Museum. Designed by the architectural afficionados over at Fosters + Partners, the two-acre courtyard is the largest covered public space in Europe. And we must admit, it’s pretty darn spectacular.
The Great Court at the British Museum
Having very recently celebrated its 25th anniversary; the Great Court in its current form was opened to the public on December 6, 2000. Before that, the space had been designed by Robert Smirke to serve as a garden. But in 1852, it became the home of the museum’s library department, complete with stacks of books and – of course – the Reading Room. In 1997, the library department was moved to the British Library building in St Pancras, and the space was left empty.
In a bid to give the courtyard a new lease of life, the museum launched a competition to redesign it. They wanted to find a design that could reveal hidden spaces, revise old spaces, and create new space (blimey, they weren’t asking for much, hey?). There were over 130 million competition entries, but Fosters + Partners (the same brains that were behind iconic London landmarks like the Gherkin and Millennium Bridge) nabbed the crown and got stuck in to the £100 million project.
Easily one of London’s most unique spaces, the Great Court is enclosed by a striking glass roof that was loosely inspired by the roof of the Reichstag Building in Berlin. It’s made up of 3212 individual panes of glass; no two of which are the same. The Reading Room remains in the middle of the court, which was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II, marking the first time in 150 years that visitors were able to move freely through the main floor of the museum.
The Great Court is open daily and completely free to visit. Find out more and plan your visit here.