Museum of Ruinenlust: framed fragments of demolition

22.2 barbican

“We do not simply stumble across ruins, we search them out in order to linger amid their tottering, mouldering forms…and savour the frisson of decline and fall, of wholeness destabilised.” – Frances Stonor Saunders

In December 2022, Museum of London (Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya) will close its doors at its current site on the edge of the Barbican, a redevelopment of an area demolished during WW2. The site will once again be demolished to make way for new office blocks by Diller Scofidio + Renfro. MOL was given no protection by the relevant heritage authority, Historic England, who stated:

“Overall the museum building falls short of the required architectural interest.”

However, 88% of Barbican residents have voted against the demolition. (Barbican Association, 2021)

In light of this poll, Museum of Ruinenlust proposes fragments of the proposed demolition be collected, exhibited and used around the site within the Barbican Estate. They will be fielded, imprinted, hung, embedded, retained, and framed. The museum invites visitors and residents to experience these ruins and to sit with ‘ruinenlust’, a German word describing the feeling of pleasure experienced amongst ruins.

“Ruins are the site of what we have left behind. [through the] process of temporal displacement, the ruin serves as momento mori” – Jon Beasley-Murrey.

Nina Holden