We had the opening of the New RA last night – young and old, long-term supporters, donors, patrons, all those who have been involved in the project since the beginning, artists, RAs, all in a great impenetrable swirling mass throughout the building. It is a slightly strange experience after many years (at least ten) of looking at ground plans and CGIs of the various spaces to see them realised in three dimensions: some exactly as conceived from an early stage of the project; some, like the Dorfman Architectural Court, bigger and more important to the experience than expected, filled with architectural casts from Thomas Lawrence’s collection:-

There were moments that I particularly enjoyed: two people who came on a hard hat tour sitting enjoying the seats that they sponsored; seeing Roy Strong, who gave me my first job at the V&A, and Isaac Julien, one of the recently elected RAs; and lots of staff who contributed to the project at an early stage seeing the results of their labours.

I took only one photograph, which was from the bottom of the disabled ramp at the front, a solution to the problem of convenient and permanent access from the street which was reached after many false attempts:-