News

# The National Archives and RIBA to partner

A new partnership with the [Royal Institute of British
Architects](https://www.riba.org/) (RIBA) will ensure the accessibility and
preservation of its world-class Drawings and Archives Collections during the
period between the conclusion of the V&A+RIBA Architecture Partnership and the
creation of a new permanent home.

Published 13 January 2026

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.

> 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.

Gemma Maclagan Ram, Chief Operating Officer at The National Archives

The Drawings and Archives Collection consists of architectural drawings, from
sketches and preliminary designs to presentation and technical drawings, and
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.

## Help us improve this website

[Complete our short survey (opens in new tab)](https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/DN07V0/?area=footer&source=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nationalarchives.gov.uk%2Fmd%2Fnews%2Fthe-national-archives-and-riba-to-partner%2F)

---

[Back to top](#top)