The British Museum’s Masterplan project to redesign its Western Range, one of the biggest cultural renovation projects to be undertaken in the world, has reached a pivotal point in its journey. From over 60 submissions received for the Western Range competition and five shortlisted teams participating in its second stage, Paris-based Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture (LG—A) has been announced as the winner. The Lebanese architect envisions sustainability, history and narrative entwined deeply with her architectural proposal, revealing a sensitive tapestry for the historical building’s future. “This competition has been an exciting process shaped by dialogue and multiple voices,” Ghotmeh expresses her joy upon winning the international architectural competition in an official statement. “I am looking forward to continuing this rich and collaborative process as we work towards transforming this section of the museum into an extraordinary space—a place of connections for the world and of the world,” she adds.

Ghotmeh's eponymous office is an internationally acclaimed practice lauded for its grounded interventions with a particular propensity for history. Her creative approach is known to ingeniously tether traditional craftsmanship with innovation to yield inclusive models of architecture across a variety of contexts. Each of her projects reiterates her adage, ‘Archaeology of the Future’, residing at the intersection of history, nature and materials - a commitment that aspires to be reflected in the firm’s proposal for the British Museum's massive western wing. LG—A has delivered several noteworthy cultural landmarks through the years: the lightweight and nimble timber design for the 22nd Serpentine Pavilion (2023), À table, unveiled in London, UK, and the resilient Stone Garden Housing in Beirut - a witness to expansive history and a survivor of the Beirut explosion in 2020, amongst others.

The competition, launched in May 2024, sought the renovation of the nearly two-century-old home for the British Museum in tandem with the reimagination of how the museum’s vast collection is presented. Over nine months, participants formulated concepts to transform a third of the museum’s gallery space—including all the galleries to the west of the Great Court—perched on its massively popular London home on Great Russell St. For Ghotmeh, this exercise, akin to most of her other projects, became one evocative of an ‘archaeological dig’. She delved into the rich past of the Greek Revival-style building, dissecting the nuances of artefact displays and associated interactions with a range of visitor groups. Dr Nicholas Cullinan, director of the British Museum, says, “Her [Ghotmeh’s] team’s proposals demonstrated an exceptional and materially sensitive architectural vision for the British Museum and their ‘archaeological’ approach clearly understood the ambition for this project to be as much an intellectual transformation as an architectural one.”

The renovation of the Western Range—with Ghotmeh's proposal—looks to sedulously interlace a forward-looking architectural vision with a reminiscent undertone; also somewhat evocative, but one that may not be perceived to be entirely evasive of the institution's colonial history. The museum’s sizeable collections from around the world, and the cultural mass it has cultivated by means of that, now present a tangible opportunity for redefining what its future shell can be. Ghotmeh then proves an ideal collaborator for the significant redevelopment project owing to her unwavering sensitivity, especially apropos historical contexts. In her proposal for the British Museum’s Western Range, the echo of a dig site presents ubiquitous optics for a non-specific history—at once reverential as well as opportune for the semantics of the British Museum—while also being spatially reflective of the artefacts it will host. Ghotmeh and her team will now present initial designs for the Western Range along with the Museum team by mid-2026.