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The City of London Corporation has agreed a partnership with General Projects and Esselco Group to redevelop the Annexe buildings in West Smithfield into a food market and hotel.
The Victorian structures, which were built between 1886 and 1899, will undergo a two-phase regeneration designed by Heatherwick Studio to create the hospitality hub.
Phase one is scheduled for completion in early 2028 and features a food hall designed to support independent vendors and outdoor installations, while the second phase, due by 2030, will deliver a boutique hotel, retail units, and a landscaped pocket park on a former service area.
The project borders the new London Museum and forms part of a broader strategy to modernise the Smithfield area and the Barbican Centre.
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.”
Sharon Ament, director of the London Museum, said: “From Smithfield, people can flow through the museum and pop into one of our free galleries, enjoy some world class food, catch a show at the Barbican, visit the glorious St Paul’s, or take in some of the most historic areas of the city.”
Jacob Loftus, chief executive of General Projects, added: “Working in partnership with the Corporation, London Museum and other key stakeholders, we look forward to delivering an exciting new future for these unique properties that will celebrate and embrace their history.”
