The Horniman Museum, listed Grade II*, was designed by Arts and Crafts architect Charles Harrison Townsend. It opened in 1901 for the ‘recreation, instruction and enjoyment’ of the people. This centenary project provided an opportunity to clear away the unsatisfactory extensions that had grown around Townsend’s original buildings and create in their place a new building that radically transforms the visitor’s experience of the museum. In particular, it makes possible for the first time a direct connection between the internal world of the museum and the external world of the gardens. The new extension provides a large new gallery for the Musical Instrument Collection as well as a major new gallery to accommodate large touring exhibitions. New education areas, a shop and cafe improve facilities for the public and are fully accessible to all visitors, with ramps and a lift providing connections between all levels. The new building also provides a third gable to the street, continuing the sequence of Townsend’s composition. Connecting this building with the old, a top-lit double-height volume provides a major orientation space at the heart of the complex.