Design for Victoria and Albert Museum, South Court and Prince Consort's Gallery, ca. 1860s

Pencil and watercolour drawing on paper backed with linen, comprising a cross-section through the west and east halves of the South Court and the two-storey gallery or corridor (known at first-floor level as the Prince Consort's Gallery) between them. Each of the two halves of the South Court are double-height, and have semi-circular transverse ribs supporting a pitched roof, labelled 'glass'. The outer longitudinal walls are articulated by two superimposed arcades: the lower arcade has one round-headed arch per bay, the bays being divided by twisted columns; the upper arcade has two round-headed arches per bay, the bays being divided by the semi-circular transverse ribs. The inner longitudinal walls, similarly divided into bays by twisted columns (in this case paired) and ribs, enclose the two-storey corridor or gallery. At ground-floor level, this is an open cloister. At first-floor level, it has a clerestory and its own pitched glass roof.

Following the opening of the Victoria and Albert Museum at South Kensington in 1857, the South Court (since reclad internally; now used for exhibitions) was built during the 1860s as an elaborate display area for items on loan. It was created by filling in a courtyard, and, as seen in this drawing, consisted of two rectangular halls each with semi-circular iron ribs supporting a ridged glass roof. The halls were divided by a narrow block containing a cloister at ground-floor level, and a corridor known as the Prince Consort's Gallery at first-floor level. The drawing shows the South Court largely as built, although certain details not depicted: most noticeably the mosaic and painted decoration, but also the arcade of semi-circular arches running beneath the end balconies and articulating the ground-floor cloister. The end balconies would be executed without the prominent finials.

E.1051-1927