A museum remade around its heaviest objects—Foster turns the atrium into a suspended theater of machines and memory.
Military museum in London.
Featured in Norman Foster's definitive monograph, Norman Foster: A Life in Architecture.
Visitor Guide
Go straight into the atrium and look for the vertical alignment of ‘big objects’ across floors; then ride up and look back down—this building is designed in section.
Atrium upper level looking across the void (where aircraft/large exhibits are visible); late morning gives balanced interior light without blown highlights.
Open daily 10:00–18:00 (closed 24–26 Dec). Entry to the museum is free; special exhibitions may be ticketed.
The 2014 re-open wasn’t cosmetic: it was an infrastructural reorganization—relocating and suspending massive objects so the atrium becomes a navigational spine, not dead space.
2-4 hours
Design & Structure
Masterplanning and interior reconfiguration: a new atrium strategy and gallery relationships designed around the spatial and structural requirements of the largest exhibits.
Concrete fins, robust atrium construction, and durable public-surface materials—chosen to handle crowds and heavy suspended artifacts while keeping the space legible.
Suspension and support of oversized objects within a multi-level atrium: engineering that must be safe, silent, and visually ‘inevitable.’
More by Norman Foster
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University of Turin
University of Toronto
Copenhagen Zoo
Lürssen
Stanford University
London Underground
Nearby in London Borough of Southwark
The News Building (London)
Tate Modern
110 The Queen's Walk
Millennium Bridge, London
Frequently Asked Questions
Who designed Imperial War Museum?+
Imperial War Museum was designed by Norman Foster and completed in 1917. It is located in London Borough of Southwark, United Kingdom.
Where is Imperial War Museum located?+
Imperial War Museum is located in London Borough of Southwark, United Kingdom. Its coordinates are 51.4958°, -0.1087°.
When was Imperial War Museum built?+
Imperial War Museum was completed in 1917. It was designed by Norman Foster.
Can I visit Imperial War Museum?+
Imperial War Museum is a real building in London Borough of Southwark that can be viewed from the outside. Check local information for interior access and visiting hours. Use the Parametric Atlas walking tour feature to plan a route that includes this building.