Seven interconnected rooms in the museum’s West Wing have been reconfigured and made fully accessible to house the Gilbert Collection of decorative arts, one of the finest in the world, which is a private collection on permanent loan to the museum.
The galleries occupy part of the museum’s 19th-century West Wing, where layers of adaptation had obscured the original architecture. Former cellular office spaces, mezzanines and corridors have been removed and historic archways revealed and restored. The reconfiguration establishes seven interconnected rooms with displays of gold boxes, silver, enamel, stone and glass micro-mosaics, as well as rooms exploring provenance: from forgeries to looting – using 40 per cent reclaimed display cases.
The galleries are fully naturally ventilated while the original, external solar shading system, known from old drawings and photographs, has been reinstated to improve comfort and conservation and minimise solar gain. Around 40 per cent of the display cases have also been re-used from other exhibitions to reduce the project’s carbon footprint.
Accessibility and inclusion were central to the design approach. Circulation routes have been simplified, with generous seating provided for rest and reflection. Tactile and multi-sensory displays are also enhanced by additional digital information and audio description.
This is also the only double-aspect gallery in the museum, with views to both the Madejski courtyard and the Exhibition Road Courtyard, which act as a backdrop to the collection.
Architect’s view
We’re delighted to be working with the V&A to create a new home for the exquisite Gilbert Collection.
Designing a permanent gallery is quite a different challenge from creating temporary exhibitions, which often rely on bold audio-visual installations or references to current graphic trends. By contrast, our approach to these galleries is led by the objects themselves – using the original and recreated archways to frame views of the dazzling holy gates from a Kyiv monastery, a silver howdah and many other extraordinary objects. Permanent galleries are designed to last a generation, with detailing, furniture and finishes that are more restrained, yet still rich in colour and material quality, becoming key focal points in the journey around the museum.
Our design opens up previously unseen, cellular back-of-house offices and corridors to create the V&A’s first daylight-filled double aspect gallery. Sustainability and circular economy have been at the heart of our approach; we are restoring the elegance of the original brickwork arches, reinstating the original solar shading, and bringing existing display cases into new use. Together with a wonderful curatorial team, the galleries explore beauty, craft, provenance and authenticity in a way that will inspire wonder and debate.
Working within the Grade I-listed fabric of the museum meant approaching the building as both an artefact and a living environment. Extending the galleries into former offices revealed connections that had long been hidden, restoring the building’s original sense of continuity. Reopening historic archways and retaining elements such as parquet floors, marble skirtings and fanlights allowed the architecture to regain its legibility, while new lighting and environmental systems support conservation without compromising the character of the interiors.
The project demonstrates how careful research, delicately tuned intervention and crafted detail can unlock new spatial and environmental possibilities within a historic structure, allowing the architecture to evolve while amplifying the character of the original building.
Katy Marks, director, Citizens Design Bureau
Client’s view
The Gilbert Galleries honour the transformative philanthropy of Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert, celebrate some of the most exquisite works of art ever made, and now also explore the fascinating and sometimes complex histories behind them. As part of our FuturePlan transformation, this project combines cutting-edge design, pioneering conservation and the restoration of V&A South Kensington’s historic spaces to inspire creativity in every visitor.
Tristram Hunt, director, V&A
The Gilbert Collection is a feast for the eyes – from dazzling stone and glass mosaics and jewelled gold boxes to masterpieces of silver and enamel. With these new galleries, we can share the artistry of these extraordinary objects in more depth than ever before, while also asking important questions about their histories and journeys. It’s a chance for visitors to get closer to beauty, brilliance and craftsmanship on an intimate scale, but also to discover the personal stories of Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert as collectors.
Alice Minter, senior curator, The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection
Project data
Location Victoria & Albert Museum, South Kensington, London
Start on site November 2024
Completion March 2026
Gross internal floor area 500m2
Form of contract Traditional
Construction cost Confidential
Architect Citizens Design Bureau
Client V&A
Structural engineer Structure Workshop
M&E consultant Ritchie+Daffin
Conservation architect WEAL Architects
Conservation consultant Purcell
QS Currie & Brown
Lighting consultant Pritchard Themis
Fire consultant Tec-Fire
Access consultant Jayne Earnscliffe
CDM advisor PFB
Graphic designer Templo
Project manager Stace
Principal designer Citizens Design Bureau
Approved building inspector Sweco
Enabling works contractor Sykes
Main contractor MCD
Exhibition fit-out contractor Florea
CAD software used ArchiCAD
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