Great Court

The round building at the centre of the court is the Reading Room. Its curved wall meets a roof of glass and steel designed by Foster and Partners. Around it, the older museum buildings form the edges of a public space that connects galleries and visitor facilities. Robert Smirke had intended a garden courtyard. Book stores began to fill it in the 1850s, and the Museum’s library department occupied the space until its move to St Pancras in 1997. Clearing those stores allowed visitors to move around the Reading Room again. Queen Elizabeth II opened the redesigned court in December 2000. The project also created new spaces for Africa, thematic displays, temporary exhibitions and education. Use the circular Reading Room to orient yourself before choosing a gallery. Different collections are reached on different levels.