Young V&A
LONDON
Construction is complete for the £13m redevelopment of the V&A Museum of Childhood
Image by Picture Plane © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
OUR ROLE
Greenway Associates were the appointed Cost Consultant for both Base Build (Construction) and Exhibition (Fit-Out). This has given Greenway Associates the opportunity to use our diverse and complimentary professional skills.
James Denby, who is our lead on this project says:
“The Young V&A will provide a platform for children to explore their creative abilities and give them an insight into the stories behind many modern toys and children’s activities. As a parent, many aspects of this project resonate with me, and I am pleased to be part of it.”
- James Denby
THE PROJECT
In 1857, the original V&A cast iron building in South Kensington was dismantled, re-erected on public land in East London, clad in brick and was re opened as the Bethnal Green Museum in 1872. It became the Museum of Childhood in 1974, and has continued to evolve over the years.
Dr Philippa Simpson, V&A’S Director of Design, Estate and Future Plan said,
“For the last few decades it has been a site of nostalgia, for people who show their kids the toys they played with when they were young. This will be a V&A for those young visitors.”
Pssst…
Did you know Philippa would love to see a street art exhibition at the V&A?
Read more about her views and ideas from our interview with her.
The Young V&A is less about looking back, and more about unlocking the potential of future generations.
The building closed in early 2020 and works began on reimagining this beloved institution into the UK’s premier national museum, entirely dedicated to children.
It has now been transformed into a place to play, create, debate and design for tomorrow.
Designed with and for 0–14-year-olds, its new name reflects its new mission to inspire young people and encouraging them to experiment and dream.
The museum includes three new galleries Play, Imagine and Design, interactive collection displays drawing on the full scope of the V&A collections, a suite of dedicated workshops for learning, an in-gallery design studio for visitors, and a redesigned visitor experience including a new café and shop.
CONSTRUCTION
Architects De Matos Ryan were appointed in early 2018 to develop full basebuild design, including structural changes, heritage restoration, lighting and acoustic upgrades and delivery of a new suite of workshop spaces. The structural changes were especially complex but had the effect of opening up the building and creating large galleries. Some photos of the journey are set out below.
The central rooflight that runs down the centre of the central gallery was a real challenge. It required full restoration and its underside was only accessible via an immense internal scaffold. Restoration included removing asbestos, replacing all the glass, new leadwork and waterproofing, steel repairs and a full re-decoration.
The feature piece of the main hall was the new spiral staircase. The design is based upon a kaleidoscope so that you could see your reflection from any angle in the hall. The stair case was installed onto a piled foundations through a Grade 2 listed mosaic floor! This was exceedingly complex and required considerable temporary works in order to protect the existing floor.
Architects AOC Architecture were the lead designers for the museum fit-out. We loved the way the very bold D-E-S-I-G-N lettering in the main hall came together. The small hanging car was a design engineering masterpiece too!
This really has been a fabulous project to be involved in. We loved it because it played to our strengths as it covered all types of disciplines including heritage and restoration, complex construction works and, of course, an exciting exhibition.
THE DETAILS
Client: V&A
Project Manager: Lockerdell Consulting Ltd
Fit-Out Designer: The AOC Architecture
Build Base Architect: De Matos Ryan
Cost Consultant (Basebuild & Exhibition Fit-out): Greenway Associates
Contractor: Quinn London, Factory Settings, Florea
Status: Complete
PRESS
Interested in similar projects? Have a look at our work in the Imperial War Museum for the Second World War & Holocaust galleries via the link below: