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A proposal to display previously unseen Roman treasures in the heart of the Square Mile has been hit by complaints that the building could damage existing ancient remains on the site.
The application to build a 32-storey tower on Gracechurch Street sits on the site of London’s original Roman Forum – an open-air plaza that was the heart of the city until demolished by Rome in AD 300 as punishment for Londoners who have a rival leader.
It includes plans for a ‘heritage garden’ to house artifacts from the Museum of London’s archives, and a virtual reality experience that will bring to life the place where citizens gather to conduct business and watch gladiators fight.
In a statement to the City of London’s planning committee, which will study the proposal on Monday, the Museum of London said it was “enthusiastic about and in favor of” the plans. It added that the “new space will provide an opportunity to celebrate the historical significance of the site…through the potential display of finds from the project’s archaeological surveys, as well as the use of virtual/augmented reality to give visitors the chance to to experience the site as it once was”.
But Historic England has objected, saying the plans would “damage very important archeology in the heart of the Roman city”.
The body’s Greater London Archeology Advisory Service said that while it would “welcome the provision of a dedicated exhibition space”, it considers the “archaeological impact to be ‘deeply detrimental'”.
They recommended that the remnants of the forum “should be recognized as [a] heritage of archaeological and historical interest”. Any plans to work on the basement level must be “supervised and assessed upon completion of archaeological investigation”.
The remains of the forum were only rediscovered during the construction of Leadenhall Market in the 1880s. More recent excavations, in 1990 and 2001, revealed remains dating back to around AD 60.
A spokesperson for applicant Hertshten Properties said it was “delighted to be working with the Museum of London”.
Council officials recommended planning permission be granted, but said it would need to be referred to the Mayor of London and the Department for Culture, Media & Sport and cultural body Unesco should be notified.
