In 2015 the force will quit New Scotland Yard in Victoria where it has been based since 1967 and move into the Curtis Green building in Westminster.
The building, originally an extension to the offices vacated in 1967, has been empty since 2010 and will require extensive work to transform it into a modern, fit for purpose HQ.
AHMM were one of five firms shortlisted in a competition – run by the Royal Institute of British Architects, the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime and the Met – to design the force’s new home.
The sale of the current Victoria site is expected to release £180m, helping the force meet its savings target of £500m over the next three years.
The new Scotland Yard building is just one of several high profile London projects being worked on by AHMM which was is also designing Google’s new headquarters in King’s Cross.
CIty Hall says the firm now work with the Met to further develop the designs before a planning application is submitted in 2014.
Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime Stephen Greenhalgh said: “Scotland Yard is returning to its historical home in Whitehall. The new, smaller Met HQ will help deliver a 21st century police force and AHMM’s design, which includes a public space, will help Londoners to reconnect with the Met.
“By selling outdated and impractical buildings like the New Scotland Yard that are costly to maintain, we can reduce property running costs. The money raised from the sale of these buildings will be ploughed back into frontline policing so that our officers are equipped with the tools and technology they need to fight crime and to continue to keep London safe.”
MPS Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan Howe added: “Scotland Yard is an internationally recognised and highly respected brand and the architects final designs for the building will, we hope, reflect and enhance this status.
“Whilst providing modern, efficient and secure premises for our staff, the move will release substantial sums to be reinvested back in to other policing services. This is a significant and exciting move for us and marks the new era of 21st century policing for the MPS. It allows us to save money while improving our estate.”
Paul Monaghan, Director, Allford Hall Monaghan Morris said: “We are delighted to have won the competition to design the new HQ for the Metropolitan Police within the historic setting of the Curtis Green building.
“This is a very important project for AHMM with the opportunity to work with one of the most significant and longest established law enforcement bodies in the world. We look forward to working with the Metropolitan Police Service to develop a building that supports them in their changing role within the city.”
Bill Taylor, RIBA Competitions Adviser: “Through the careful extension of the public realm across the site and consideration of its neighbours in massing and materiality terms, these proposals will serve to strengthen this cohesion.
“Weaving the heritage and culture of the Metropolitan Police into the fabric of the building and the spaces that surround it, the proposals strike a balance between respect for what already exists and the desire of the client to present a new, open and progressive face to the community they serve.”
