The RIBA Library

You can access items from the RIBA Collections - including books, periodicals and photographs - at two sites in London: the RIBA Library at 66 Portland Place or the RIBA Architecture Study Room at the V&A.

You can search the collections online through the RIBA Library catalogue and browse over 90,000 images on our image library.

If you have a question, contact us on +44 (0)20 7307 3882 or info@riba.org

Browse books and periodicals and view items from the Rare Books Collection and the Robert Elwall Photographs Collection in the RIBA Library, located on the third floor.  

Please note that there is a mixture of open and closed access to the books and periodicals, with timed retrievals for offsite items at midday and 3pm; access to the Rare Books Collection is available on demand; and access to the Robert Elwall Photographs Collection is by appointment only.

The Royal Institute of British Architects,
66 Portland Place,
London, W1B 1AD

Opening times 

Tuesday 10am to 8pm
Wednesday  10am to 5pm
Friday  10am to 5pm
Saturday 10am to 1.30pm

Closed Monday, Thursday and Sunday.

Planned closures for 2017
27 May to 29 May
5 August to 4 September

Admission

• Free admission
• Visitors are required to sign in with a photo ID or RIBA membership card each time they visit the library 
• There is wheelchair and step-free access to the Library by lift to the third floor.
• Guide dogs are welcome
• Free lockers – bags, food and drink are not permitted in the library

Services

• Photography of books and periodicals is permitted for the purposes of non-commercial research or private study - please read our personal photography policy before visiting
• Photocopiers and scanners are available
• RIBA members loan library – closed access to books and periodicals for RIBA members, including student members. please contact us for further information
• Free wifi
  
   

The RIBA Drawings and Archives Collection is held at the Victoria and Albert Museum as part of the V&A + RIBA architecture partnership.

Access to items from the RIBA Drawings and Archives Collection is by appointment only.

RIBA Architecture Study Room 
Victoria and Albert Museum, 
London SW7 2RL

Opening times 

Tuesday 10.15am to 1pm and 2.15pm to 5pm
Wednesday 10.15am to 1pm and 2.15pm to 5pm
Friday 10.15am to 1pm and 2.15pm to 5pm

Closed Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday

Due to major building work at the V&A, access to the RIBA Architecture Study Room is currently restricted to two daily appointment slots at 10.15am and 2.15pm. 

Planned closures for 2017
27 May to 29 May
5 August to 4 September.

Admission 

• Free admission, by appointment only
• Visitors are required to complete a reader registration form when they visit the study room
• Free lockers are located in the V&A Print Room - bags, food and drink are not permitted in the study room

Services 

• Photography is permitted for most of the items in the collection for the purpose of non-commercial research or private study - please read our photography policy before visiting
• Free wifi

In addition to self-service photography, photocopying and scanning in the library, we also offer a remote copying service, for books and periodicals, and a digitisation on demand service for drawings, manuscripts, photographs and material too fragile to be copied. 

Please contact us for further information about our reprographics services.