The Design Museum moved in 2016 and now occupies the building that was constructed for the Commonwealth Institute, which opened in 1962. Although the building was significantly (and controversially) refurbished so that little of the original structure remains, there are still reminders of the building’s history.
In the basement a gently curved map of the Commonwealth as it was in 1993 is accompanied by a series of plaques. These plaques mark the building’s history, from its original opening to the recent reopening as the Design Museum.
Another historic feature is on the back wall of the mezzanine level. Contrasting with the polished wood finishes throughout the museum, the mezzanine wall is entirely faced by grey flecked marble.
This stone was used as the floor of the circular viewing gallery at the centre of the Commonwealth Insititue. From there visitors could survey the various galleries devoted to the Commonwealth countries. That marble had originally been used for the staircases of the Imperial Institute, which stood a short distance away in South Kensington where Imperial College now stands.
Little remains of the Imperial Institute on its original site. The only extant structure is the Collcut or Queen’s Tower (shown on the right in the picture below). The tower now stands at the centre of a quadrangle within the college, but was originally at the crossing of some of the Institute’s galleries.
As far as I know the marble wall at the Design Museum is the only other part of the Institute to remain. Despite the disquiet at the gutting of the Commonwealth Institute, at least the refurbished building contains reminders of its longer history that began in 1893 when its predecessor opened.
