Lina Ghotmeh Wins British Museum Western Range Redesign Competition

On February 25, 2025, it was revealed that Lina Ghotmeh Architecture secured victory in the international contest to revamp the British Museum’s Western Range. Leading a team that includes Ali Cherri, Arup, Holmes Studio, Plan A, and Purcell, Ghotmeh, an architect from Lebanon residing in Paris, will oversee a project covering 15,600 square meters dedicated to galleries focused on ancient Mediterranean cultures, alongside new storage and research spaces. The competition, initiated in May 2024, featured five finalists. Originally designed by Sir Robert Smirke in the 1820s, the Western Range attracts six million visitors each year and houses eight million artifacts. Ghotmeh’s design philosophy, "Archaeology of the Future," prioritizes history, nature, and materials, earning commendation from British Museum director Nicholas Cullinan.