Amanda Levete's Exhibition Road Quarter Opens at V&A London

The Victoria and Albert Museum in London has unveiled its most ambitious architectural project in a century: the Exhibition Road Quarter, designed by Stirling Prize-winning architect Amanda Levete and her firm AL_A. The project transforms the museum's historic boiler house courtyard into a new public entrance on Exhibition Road, the cultural artery of South Kensington. Visitors pass through the Aston Webb Screen into the Sackler Courtyard, the world's first porcelain-paved public square, referencing the V&A's ceramic collection. Below lies the 1,100-square-meter column-free Sainsbury Gallery for temporary exhibitions, opening autumn 2017. The Blavatnik Hall serves as the new entrance to the permanent collection. Levete stated the project is "as much cultural as urban," aiming to bring the museum onto the street and the city inside. The ceramic tiles were developed with Koninklijke Tichelaar Makkum, and engineering firm Arup contributed to the unprecedented construction, all while the museum remained open. From June 30 to July 7, the V&A will host REVEAL, a free festival celebrating the opening, featuring flying sculptures by Tomás Saraceno, light projections by Ron Arad and Zandra Rhodes on the courtyard facades, and a dance performance by Julie Cunningham & Company.