Urban Continuities

Every place has a history. Every site has a memory of its own. Whether in the name of the street where we live or the configuration of the public spaces we traverse on our way to work, this past is present in our everyday, even if we are not always aware of it.

The City of London is particularly rich in layers of history. And as soon as the construction of a new building begins there, the hidden past comes to the fore thanks to archaeological research and excavation, a crucial aspect of the planning and building process. This exhibition focuses on five sites in the City of London with significant archaeological remains: 50 Fenchurch Street, Fen Court, Seal House, The Charterhouse, and the Salisbury Square Development.

Designed by Eric Parry Architects and excavated by Museum of London Archaeology and others, some completed and others in progress, these developments contain fascinating stories that deepen our understanding of the evolution of the City from Roman times to today. The recovered material—which includes architectural structures, consumer goods, and human remains—helps us to envision how Londoners of previous eras traded, travelled, entertained themselves, worshipped, and dealt with crises, how they lived and how they died. It reminds us that alongside the rapid change that characterises the urban experience there is also a great deal of continuity.

This urban continuity provides a social and narrative thread in creating the next layer of London, contributing to its cultural capital as a Destination City.