We brought archeology to life by recreating the structure of the ancient Roman temple in sheets of light and haze, a technique never-before-used in an exhibit context. This groundbreaking creative approach allowed visitors to walk through the ruins, immersing themselves in a living, physicalized hologram of the structure that once stood. As visitors circle around the perimeter, the walls of light shift to highlight different areas of the ruin, as ghostly voices hint at the cult’s rituals.

On the mezzanine level, visitors encounter translucent resin casts of temple artifacts they can touch, paired with interactive kiosks containing more information. The room is enveloped by shadowy animations of the temple's occupants, accompanied by audio of scholars sharing what little is known about the mysterious cult.

The top level of the museum combines an impressive case of 600 Roman artifacts, and a contemporary art gallery showcasing work inspired by the Mithraeum.

A team of skilled archaeologists, stone masons, conservators, and designers have created the temple reconstruction working from original archaeological drawings, models, photographs, first-hand testimonies and newsreel footage. The project has taken ten years to complete and has been funded and created by Bloomberg, working closely with the City of London and a team of conservation specialists and designers.

The temple reconstruction itself was conceived and assembled by leading experts from across a range of fields. Authenticity was hugely important to the team who went to extraordinary lengths in their pursuit to create a faithful reconstruction. The research, design, and mock-ups for the reconstruction took nearly 8 years and the actual reconstruction another 18 months. Measuring 18 metres long, eight metres wide and standing to a staggering height of over two metres in places, the reconstruction, as closely as possible, replicates the ruined remains of the temple found in 1954.

The unique reconstruction makes a major contribution to the City of London, providing a major new historic site for visitors to enjoy and creating new partnerships. The visitor experience is enhanced by digital and physical content, teaching resources and a team of welcoming, expert hosts. Since opening in late November, the relatively small space has had over 50,000 visits and has enjoyed extremely positive feedback and reviews.

The Temple of Mithras, perhaps the most famous Roman discovery in 20th century London, was found by chance in 1954 on a bomb site. The near complete footprint of the temple emerged from the rubble, a symbol of London’s endurance. It immediately became a public sensation, attracting front-page news and queues of up to 30,000 visitors a day over a two week period.

Debate raged in government and the press about what should happen to the ruin. Eventually, it was dismantled and moved to make way for essential rebuilding. In the 1960s, it was roughly and somewhat inaccurately reconstructed 100 metres away from its original location. Bloomberg acquired the site in 2010 and committed to reinstating a more faithful, publicly accessible reconstruction of the temple.