From Architects' Journal 2 December 2015:

Farshid Moussavi Architecture and HAT Projects are among five teams competing to redesign the Science Museum’s main entrance on Exhibition Road in west London. Pringle Richards Sharratt, Stanton Williams and Universal Design Studio complete the shortlist of firms vying for the high-profile job.

The full shortlist:

• Farshid Moussavi Architecture
• HAT Projects
• Pringle Richards Sharratt
• Stanton Williams
• Universal Design Studio

The winning firm will create a ‘new, generous and contemporary entrance’ for the South Kensington museum inside a 1,200m² former Royal Mail building.

Planned to complete in 2019, the project will also deliver a new ‘Patrons’ Centre’ and a ‘coherent and inspiring welcome journey’ for the museum’s 3.3 million annual visitors.

According to a statement from the museum: ‘This project will be delivered as part of the museum’s masterplan, which will transform around a third of the world-renowned museum over the next five years.

‘The profile and breadth of the shortlisted practices reflect the level of interest generated for this appointment and the ambition of the Science Museum’s masterplan.’

The competition comes one year after Zaha Hadid won a previous contest for a new £5 million mathematics gallery inside the museum’s historic Richard Allison-designed home.

A string of earlier high-profile appointments also saw Muf chosen for a £4 million interactive gallery, Wilkinson Eyre selected for a £24 million suite of medical galleries and Coffey Architects picked for a £1.8 million library.

The four projects were all part of a revised £60 million, first-stage redevelopment programme which emerged following the demise of Wilkinson Eyre’s original £150 million regeneration vision in 2011. 

The latest scheme aims to improve access to the museum following Dixon Jones’ £28 million regeneration of Exhibition Road which completed in 2011.

A winner will be announced in February.