The National Archives and RIBA to partner

The National Archives and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) are pleased to announce a partnership that will ensure the accessibility and preservation of its world-class Drawings and Archives Collections during the interim period between the conclusion of the V&A+RIBA Architecture Partnership in 2027 and the creation of a new permanent home for RIBA Collections.

The collaboration with The National Archives at Kew will provide public access to the Drawings and Archives collections formerly housed in South Kensington, and will provide a home for the RIBA team, conservation and digitisation. It will also enable curatorial and conservation staff from both organisations to share expertise and collaborate on other projects.

Gemma Maclagan Ram, Chief Operating Officer at The National Archives said:
‘Our mission is to collect and preserve the public record, to connect citizens with their history through unrivalled collections and to partner with archives everywhere.
This collaboration with RIBA brings together two amazing collections of architectural records providing architects and those interested in architecture with a one-stop shop for research and education.

The Drawings and Archives Collection consists of our architectural drawings, from sketches and preliminary designs to presentation and technical drawings, and our archives, containing primary source material on mainly British architecture and its related disciplines and arts, including town planning, engineering, archaeology, decorative arts, furniture, interior design, and sculpture.

From autumn 2027, the Drawings and Archives Collection will be accessible via the RIBA Study Room at The National Archives. The arrangements for requesting items will be published next year.