Past event
Designing the V&A
The fascinating history of the V&A's buildings, from the 1850s until the present day
This display is now closed at V&A South Kensington
Through original drawings and photographs, this display highlighted the artists, designers and engineers who created the V&A, charting the building's transformation from the 1850s to today, culminating with the opening of the Exhibition Road Quarter.
Display Highlights
Past Events
Features
Building the Museum
The V&A's buildings are works of art in themselves. Each represents a chapter of the V&A's story and a moment in British design history
History of the Cast Courts
Discover the fascinating story behind a unique collection housed in one of the most popular spaces of the Museum
A history of the V&A on Exhibition Road
From humble industrial beginnings to a stunning contemporary space, the V&A Exhibition Road Quarter is the epitome of "refinement and progress"
The world's first museum café
The V&A Refreshment Rooms have been hailed throughout the years for their wealth and breadth of ornamentation, reflecting a range of contemporary design theory
The South Court and Leighton Frescos
Tucked away in the V&A are two surviving masterpieces of Victorian mural painting
A grand entrance on Cromwell Road
The huge sculpted Museum façade along Cromwell Road was a competition-winning design by young architect Aston Webb
