Young V&A

by AOC Architecture and De Matos Ryan

Client Victoria & Albert Museum

Award RIBA London Award 2025

Young VADavid ParryWEBIMAGE2jpg — Young V&A © David Parry

The award winner tells us: "The Museum of Childhood has been transformed to create Young V&A, the UK’s first museum built with and for young people. Designed to foster creative curiosity and confidence in the next generation, it is the most significant intervention in the Grade II* listed building’s 151 year history.

The building’s central Town Square provides a generous, civic interior with new café and stair, surrounded by three permanent galleries containing 2,000 world-class objects from the V&A collection and a range of creative interactives. It also includes a new temporary exhibition gallery, shop, learning centre, and quiet space with improved accessible lift and ramp."

The jury says: "The project sought the widest possible engagement of local children and young people through an active process of co-design: the V&A proudly reports having consulting with 20,000 people from the local area through creative workshops. The results of this approach are surely responsible for the surge in visitor numbers and the palpable sense of energy and vitality since the museum reopened."

Read the full citation from the RIBA Awards Jury on RIBA Journal

Contractor Quinn Heritage

Fitout contractor Factory Settings

Base build architect De Matos Ryan

Structural engineer Price and Myers

Acoustic engineer Gillieron Scott Acoustic Design

Project management Lockerdell Consulting

Lighting design Spiers Major Light Architecture + Studio ZNA

Services engineer P3R

Fire consultant The Fire Surgery

Heritage consultants James Edgar

Quantity surveyor Greenway Associates