Sam Jacob Studio has won the competition to give the Victoria and Albert Museum's landmarked entrance on Cromwell Road a £2.25 million transformation. The commission comes one year after Amanda Levete's porcelain piazza and new entrance on Exhibition Road, which has helped the V&A achieve record visitor numbers. 

The first phase of the Cromwell Road overhaul will involve a redesign of museum's iconic rotunda entrance, while the second phase will involve the lobby's entrance desk, furniture, toilets, heating etc. In their call for designers, the museum said their aim for the transformation is to "harness the potential of the impressive dome area while creating a space in which visitors feel at ease."

Sam Jacob—who has designed a number of gallery and exhibition spaces—beat out other firms Studio TILT, Nex, Gibson Thornley and John Puttick Associates for the bid. He also recently completed the V&A's first international outpost in Shekou, Shenzhen.

On the decision, acting director of design Philippa Simpson said "We’re thrilled to be working with Sam Jacob on one of the most spectacular spaces in the museum. His vision for the entrance celebrates the material and structure of the listed building while creating closer connections to the street, the surrounding galleries and the rich collections they house, to provide an inspiring moment of arrival."