The Victoria and Albert Museum wishes to create a major new gallery with the capacity to deliver its high-profile programme of temporary exhibitions, a new museum entrance and a courtyard to create an informal and inviting relationship with Exhibition Road.

The gallery, providing approximately 1500m2 of relatively uninterrupted (column-free) exhibition space, will be formed below street level, on the only undeveloped site in the Museum. Above the gallery there will be a new external courtyard-style space, linking the V&A to Exhibition Road through Sir Aston Webb’s historic arched stone screen and creating a new entrance into the museum. The new courtyard will need to be flexible so that the space could be used for installations, performances, for events or a cafe.

All enquiries relating to the competition should be emailed to our independent competition organisers Malcolm Reading Consultants, appointed to manage the competition on behalf of the V&A. Answers will be emailed directly to all registered competitors once a week during the pre-qualification stage.

V&A Exhibition Road Competition submissions must be received by 12.00hrs GMT on 27th October 2010.