In the press: Victoria and Albert Museum’s new Photography Centre revealed

13 June 2023

Purcell have unveiled the UK’s largest permanent space dedicated to photography, alongside fit-out architects Gibson Thornley.

Now open to the public, the launch of the four new gallery spaces (and reworking of a fifth) has been applauded in both the national and architectural press, with the Guardian, Dezeen, Architectural Record, and Architects’ Journal amongst publications covering the project.

Part of the esteemed London gallery’s FuturePlan project, which is seeking to improve visitor facilities and galleries whilst preserving its original, historic structure, theinspiring new spaces house the Royal Photographic Society Library and feature a state-of-the-art gallery charting advancements in camera technology, including a walk-in camera obscura.

Project Lead for Purcell, Graham Epking-Crane, said “The V&A’s FuturePlanprogramme presented a once-in-a-generation opportunity to remodel what had previously been back-of-house areas and reinstate them to their former glory as beautiful gallery spaces to be enjoyed by the public. The building is an important and high-profile cultural landmark, and it is wonderful to see these significant spaces upgraded and modernised to give the museum renewed relevance and increased capacity to showcase the breadth of the Photography Centre’s collection.”