FuturePlan is an ambitious programme of development which is transforming the V&A. The best contemporary designers are creating exciting new galleries and visitor facilities, while revealing and restoring the beauty of the original building. In the past 20 years, over 85% of V&A South Kensington's public spaces have been transformed, improving access and allowing the collections to be more elegantly and intelligently displayed. By introducing bold new architectural interventions, FuturePlan aims to delight and to inspire visitors, and to continue the V&A's tradition of championing new talent.
Photography Centre – phase two
The V&A has been acquiring photographs since 1852 and now holds one of the largest and most important collections in the world. Comprising over 800,000 objects that encompass the medium's entire history, the museum holds works by the world's leading historic and contemporary photographers. To match the collection's significance, we are creating a new Photography Centre in two phases:
Phase One was opened by the V&A’s Royal Patron, Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge, in October 2018, and was visited by over 600,000 people in its first year of opening. This new space shares the breadth of the V&A’s world-leading photography collection in refurbished 19th-century picture galleries, upgraded with state-of-the-art display conditions and environmental controls.
Phase Two (opening in early 2023) will continue this transformation by creating an additional four gallery spaces. An interactive gallery about the history and use of the camera will feature a walk-in camera obscura portrait studio, along with a timeline of cameras to explain how they work and how photographers use them. An impressive reading room dedicated to photography and the book will visibly store the Royal Photographic Society collection of rare and unique photobooks, while two further display galleries will show global contemporary photography and cutting-edge commissions.
Young V&A
Founded in 1872 as a branch of the V&A, the Museum of Childhood was east London's first public museum. We are now embarking on a major project to transform the Museum of Childhood into Young V&A, a world-leading museum of design and creativity for children and young people aged 0 – 14.
The reimagined museum aims to inspire young people to be active citizens and creative change-makers in their communities, to empower educators to drive forward creative education in art, design and performance from early years to secondary school, to connect young people with the creative ingenuity of designers, entrepreneurs, innovators and inventors and with each other, and to lead the sector in child-centred museum practice.
We are collaborating with children, families and teachers to design new permanent gallery displays, upgrade the building's infrastructure and create a world-class visitor experience. From 2023, an expanded programme of exhibitions, events and learning programmes will serve to empower young people with creative skills and champion creative education.
V&A East Storehouse
The V&A is embarking on one of UK's most significant museum projects of the decade: a landmark and visionary project to revolutionise how our collection is experienced by our visitors. V&A East Storehouse will be a public hub for the V&A's vast collections. Opening in spring 2024 at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, east London, it will offer an immersive visitor experience, bringing together state-of-the-art object storage and care facilities with learning spaces, galleries and stunning displays.
Designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, the 16,000m2 Storehouse will be home to over 250,000 objects, 350,000 library books and 917 archives which were previously stored at Blythe House in Kensington Olympia. It will be the heart of the V&A’s world-leading family of sites including South Kensington, Young V&A (reopening 2023), V&A Dundee, and the new V&A East Museum (opening spring 2025).
A constantly evolving hive of activity, no two visits to the Storehouse will be the same. Visitors will view conservation-in action, take an interactive self-guided tour through curated display spaces, enjoy live performances and immersive events, fuel their own creativity in our studios and maker spaces, and get up-close to star objects and archive materials in our study rooms.
How you can support Futureplan
FuturePlan is transforming the V&A. Through this programme of renewal we have revitalised the displays, researched and conserved the collections, clarified the layout and restored much of the building's original grand architecture, as well as undertaking visionary new projects.
FuturePlan is almost entirely funded by private donations and is succeeding thanks to the extraordinary commitment of our supporters. If you would like to get involved, please contact the Development department. We would be delighted to discuss how you can help FuturePlan restore and redesign the V&A.
We are also seeking funding to support the other activities that make the V&A a world-class centre of excellence and learning in art and design. You can support our programmes that relate to education, acquisitions, conservation and research.
FuturePlan blog
Find out the latest news from the wide range of FuturePlan projects being carried out around the V&A by architects, designers and leading Museum experts.