The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), the world’s largest museum of decorative arts and designs, is now even better. On 20 July 2017, the Exhibition Road Quarter opened, part of a massive £48million museum renovation and expansion project. This means there has never been a better time to visit London and revel in the artwork. Reserve your London holiday rental now and read on to discover some of the wonders of the V&A.
Newest Exhibit Space Opens
The new Exhibition Road Quarter that opened in July, features the world’s first all-porcelain public courtyard. It includes 11,000 handmade tiles in 15 different patterns. The project adds a massive amount of new gallery space to the V&A, a whopping 11,840 square feet, more than the size of five tennis courts. The courtyard area is intended as a meeting place and a public square, the courtyard provides an intriguing contrast to the museum’s original 19th-century structure.
This latest expansion is part of the £170 million renovation and development project the V&A began in 2001. In December 2015, new galleries were opened for the museum’s 17th- and 18th-century European collections.
5,000 Years of History
The V&A collection is enormous. It spans cultures from across the globe from ancient times to today. Not only is it the largest museum of its type, it also has the space to keep many of its 4.5 million objects on display at any given time. Prior to the latest expansion the V&A had 145 galleries and covered 12.5 acres.
Hard to believe but general admission is free to this phenomenal museum. Individual exhibits and special shows are priced separately but the bulk of the museum’s displays are free for public enjoyment. Collections include ceramics, costumes, drawings, glass, ironwork, jewellery, photographs, prints, and sculpture. You can even travel way, way back in time in the museum’s medieval objects exhibits.
The V&A dates back to 1852 and it was named after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Queen Victoria laid the foundation stone in 1899. Since then, the museum has continued to grow its collection and expand gallery space. It is now home to the largest collection of post-classical sculpture in the world. The V&A’s collection spans art from around the world with an Italian Renaissance collection that is second only to those in Italy.
In addition to the sculptures, furniture, and artworks we expect from a world-class museum, the V&A includes the National Art Library. This is a public library with over 750,000 books, drawings, paintings, photographs and prints.
To start your V&A adventures, book your London rental accommodations now. Our premium, serviced apartments are located in central London, with convenient access to the V&A and the rest of London’s cultural highlights. Pick your perfect London holiday home from our website today and begin planning your London vacation.