Young V&A Refurbishment, Bethnal Green, London

Studio ZNA, worked alongside the creative team led by Exhibition and Visitor Experience Designers - AOC (Agents of Change Architects) to re-energise and create captivating spaces for the ambitious refurbishment of the Young V&A, formerly Museum of Childhood. After a meticulous process that began in 2019, the project showcases a stunning transformation, redesigned around children, young people, schools and families.

A primary objective for Studio ZNA was to establish a stronger connection between the museum's interior and the natural daylight outside, allowing the central space “town square” to be rendered in natural light whilst allowing objects to be displayed adhering to conservation light level requirements. To achieve this, the team suggested implementing vibrant diffused ambient lighting in open sections, complemented by focused areas of high contrast. In areas where the protection of objects was paramount, Studio ZNA with AOC, introduced false ceilings and canopied showcases, creating captivating illuminated scenographies. Studio ZNA has vast experience in theatre lighting and were well placed to creatively support the narrative journeys through the three new galleries Play, Imagine and Design.

In Imagine a theatre space has been created for performance and storytelling events, also housing fantastic interactions with objects and Studio ZNA designed a series of lit scenes to support the activities and provide a flexible, creative, magical space for the museum. 

In Play Gallery a sensory immersive world of light, colour texture and playful reflection encourage babies and toddlers to explore and siblings and parents to delight in. The collaboration between the scenography and the lighting design creates an imaginative playground populated by the collection which is also animated with layers of texture and light.

In the Design Gallery the fabricators studio is created with sloped lit rooflights housing a cornucopia of design studies and classics with information on the design process and how objects are designed and fabricated.  This opens up into a workshop space with local pendant lighting to focus the drawing and making stations and echoed in the artist in residency space that encourages curiosity and engagement. The lit environment supports the content and activity that we hope inspired the next generation of design talent. Every detail within the Young V&A  has been considered to delight and inject the spaces and collection with a wonderful play of material, colour and light. 

Zerlina, Founder and Creative Director of Studio ZNA, expressed her personal connection to the project, stating, "This endeavour holds great significance to me, as I have lived in close proximity to the Young V&A Museum for over 30 years. The former Museum of Childhood played an integral role in the upbringing of my children. While the space was beloved, it had an institutional feel with its dark showcases. It is an absolute privilege to bring this collection to life, and I eagerly anticipate witnessing young people interact with the scenographic worlds we helped design."

This new museum that opened in June 2023 received a host of 5 star reviews and is recognised as a major asset on the cultural landscape of London.             

Client:  Victoria & Albert Museum
Studio ZNA’s Role: Exhibition and Visitor Experience Lighting Designer
Visitor Experience Designers : AOC
Graphic Designers: Graphic Thought Facility
AV Design: Harmonic Kinetic
Photographs: Young V&A Ⓒ David Parry and Luke Hayes Victoria and Albert Museum, London