Migration Museum may find home in planned London ‘student halls’

A HUGE 20-storey student accommodation tower block could be built in the City of London by an Asian entrepreneur, writes Hannah Neary.

Real estate company Dominvs Group, founded by Sukhpal Singh Ahluwalia, wants to demolish a 1980s office block called 65

Crutched Friars in Aldgate and construct the new building in its place. It could be built in the heart of the Square Mile, just a 10-minute walk from Tower Bridge and the Tower of London.

Along with room for 780 students, there are also plans to include a cinema, museum, cafe, gym, space for mental health counselling and rooftop views of the River Thames. The new halls include a mix of studios and two to four-bed “cluster apartments” with shared kitchens.

A planning report said 35 per cent of the rooms will be rented to students at affordable rates in line with standards set by the mayor of London.

A public park and courtyard would be built on the site as well as a museum celebrating the history of British immigration. The building could offer a long-term space for the Migration Museum, which “is in discussions” with Dominvs Group to occupy the space, according to the report.

The museum, which celebrates immigration, looks at how the movement of people to and from Britain throughout history has shaped identities. If the project goes ahead, the set-up would include space for exhibitions, a cafe and museum shop.

The report said: “It is imperative, in a time of Brexit and racial tensions, that a permanent home is given to the museum. Its role being in City of London, the oldest section of London, would cement the long and entwined history of London being about the people that made/make it.”

The City of London’s planning committee is expected to make a decision about the plans in December.