We were commissioned by the V&A Museum to design a new centre for arts education that would expand and future-proof the museum’s learning facilities. With learning central to the V&A’s mission, the project aimed to create a welcoming, innovative hub that could engage a broad range of audiences. The programme included practical art studios, a digital media lab, workshops for artists in residence, a flexible lunchroom/activity space, a seminar room and a 140-seat auditorium—more than doubling the museum’s dedicated education space.

Working closely with the V&A’s Learning and Interpretation team, we developed a design that responded to the historic building while improving connections to the wider museum. Significant reorganisation was required to overcome the constraints of the existing structure, including the creation of a new stairwell that links the centre’s two floors and provides fully accessible routes throughout.