V&A

On Friday I took my first visit to the V&A.  I can’t believe I’ve lived in London for over 3 years and haven’t been before.  It’s a huge place and I only explored the ground floor but I still seemed to spend rather a long time there!

The areas I spent most time in are categorised into Asia and Europe, and then further into specific countries, time periods or type of object (i.e. sculpture).  The smaller objects tended to be displayed in secure, clear boxes while the larger objects were mostly on open display.

There is a good range of interactive features around the different rooms, and although most of them are digital I particularly liked the hardback book associated with one of the stained glass windows on display.  Two copies are kept in a holder on the wall below the object and a great deal of historical context is explained within the book.  The book itself seemed very well presented and I like that it gives the visitor a choice to learn more about that window if they so desire.

There are various digital interactive screens dotted around the rooms, some of which are touch screen and some are attached to a mouse and keyboard.  The one I have pictured is inset into a bench with headphones attached so information can be listened to instead of read.  Again these all give the visitor access to further information without intrusively demanding attention.

There are also a few maps to demonstrate where in the world specific countries are.  They aren’t as simplified as the maps in the London Transport Museum (LTM), but that could be because people, especially international visitors, are far more familiar with the world map than a map of the London area.  Both the maps at the V&A and the LTM used very similar colour schemes – white, light blue and a darker accent.  I would be interested to know if this is coincidence or if they are chosen for a specific reason.