© Amanda Levete Architects . Published on April 04, 2011.

Amanda Levete Architects (AL_A) have won the international design competition for the Museum’s Exhibition Road development.

© Amanda Levete Architects . Published on April 04, 2011.

AL_A were one of seven shortlisted architectural teams, selected from over 110 expressions of interest for the Exhibition Road competition. The project will create new galleries for the V&A’s internationally renowned exhibitions, a public courtyard for installations and events, and an entrance into the Museum from the newly landscaped Exhibition Road.

© Amanda Levete Architects . Published on April 04, 2011.

Paul Ruddock, Chairman of the V&A Board of Trustees, said: “The Exhibition Road project is an essential development for the future of the V&A. The V&A produces the very best international design exhibitions and the existing exhibition courts, arranged over three separate rooms, are no longer fit for purpose. This new development will transform the way the V&A is able to present its major exhibitions and will enable us to reveal and restore the magnificent south courts. AL_A’s proposal will create a wonderful new space that cleverly combines the elegance of the V&A’s Grade I listed buildings with contemporary design. They are a worthy winner.”

Sir Mark Jones, V&A Director, said: “We were very pleased by the quality of the international response to this project and I’d like to thank all of the shortlisted designers for the enormous amount of work which will have gone into creating such intelligent responses to this complex site. We are confident that AL_A are the right practice to lead this crucial V&A development and that they will create a building that will delight our visitors.”

On winning the competition, Amanda Levete said: “The V&A is a hugely prestigious museum and it has special meaning for me because it’s the home of art and architecture. I’ve dreamt of working on a major public and cultural project ever since I started as an architect, and it doesn’t get much better than this. This isn’t just about a gallery, it’s an opportunity to create a new public space for London – South Kensington’s Drawing Room. The pattern of the courtyard derives from the structure and the richness of the V&A’s collection, and continues the didactic tradition of the V&A buildings. AL_A is a young office – we’ve only been established for two years – and for us this is a defining project because it expresses the way we think – for the V&A we’ve made the invisible visible.”

A jury, chaired by Steve McGuckin, made their decision after examining all of the shortlisted schemes in detail, interviewing each of the teams, visiting their studios and previous projects as well as obtaining client references.

AL_A will now work with the V&A to develop a more detailed design. The project is expected to take five years from the design stage to completion and the total budget will be £35 million.

The Exhibition Road project is part of the V&A’s ongoing FuturePlan to transform the Museum and will contribute to the development and semi-pedestrianisation of Exhibition Road led by The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The international design competition was organised by Malcolm Reading Consultants.