In 2019 Roz Barr Architects were successful in a competition for the redesign of the V&A Fashion Gallery. The architectural ambition is to create a greater relationship with the volume of the existing Octagonal Court to provide first class gallery space for this extraordinary collection.

The existing mezzanine structure which was added in the 1960s has severed the volume and offers poor, inadequate gallery space for the temporary gallery. The Fashion Gallery at the V+A is the only gallery that hosts both a Permanent and Temporary Galleries in one space. Our ambition since competition is to raise the mezzanine structure by 1.5 metres in order to improve air flow throughout the space and give a greater volume at Ground level to the Temporary Gallery.

Greater clarity will be given to the mezzanine level and its relationship to the wonderful domed ceiling of the Octagonal Court. We have related the new design the existing cornice line that is a dominant feature with the 4 niches that create the strong form of the Court. We are proposing the new column bases will be made from terracotta. This continues the heritage of Henry Cole’s V&A museum which is a celebration of manufacturing and craftsmanship. Ceramic and terracotta columns and decorative tiles form a central part of the museum. This new architectural interior is an acknowledgement to the past in creating a vibrant new gallery.