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London wouldn’t be complete without the British Museum. Whether it’s memories of school trips spent running through artefacts from ancient Egypt, or you’ve already nabbed tickets in anticipation of the upcoming Picasso exhibition in November, it’s an iconic landmark in the city.
And the UK’s most visited tourist attraction is now set for a massive transformation as a brand new director takes over. The former boss of the National Portrait Gallery, Nicholas Cullinan, stepped up the prestigious role in June following the resignation of former director Hartwig Fischer.
Promising major changes for the museum where he’ll be responsible for overseeing a £1.3 billion digital expansion and renovating its 3,500 rooms and galleries, Cullinan certainly has his work cut out for him.
‘I’m going to lead the biggest transformation of any museum in the world,’ Cullinan told the Times.
It’s been a pretty transformative year for the Grade I-listed building. In May, it was announced the museum would be getting a £50 million facelift to its western range, the biggest building project to take place since the 1820s, and this summer, the domed reading room complete with a mighty five million books reopened after being closed for almost a decade.
While the museum faced some criticism for accepting a millions of pounds of donations from BP for said facelift, Cullinan famously severed ties with the oil giant at his former office in the National Portrait Gallery.
Although the director hasn’t commented explicitly on the relationship between BP and the British Museum, Cullinan told the Times: ‘I think you have to have very good, clear reasons for turning down money that would help to keep the British Museum free to the public. Free admissions is one big reason why I have stayed in this country. It makes our museums very special.’
If you’re planning a visit, make sure you check out our guide to the British Museum so you get the most out of the place.
A look at London’s museums
There’s no shortage of museums to visit in London, and it can feel overwhelming trying to pick one. Thankfully, we out Time Out have made it easier with out list of best museums to check out this year. If you fancy checking out some art, have a look at our guide to the best art exhibitions, and money is no object here, because we’ve also got a list of the best free art in London right now.
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