Through exciting partnerships with The London Archives and Crown Fine Art, access to our collections continues during the refurbishment of our London building, 66 Portland Place.
RIBA Library and Collections services update, September 2025
- Library and Photographs collections: Our interim service is now open at The London Archives and by appointment at Crown Fine Art. Our remote scanning service has now resumed.
- Drawings and Archives collections: While access to drawings and archives through the RIBA Architecture Study Rooms at the V&A and Piper Centre outstore remains unchanged at this time, our capacity for preparing objects for loan will be significantly reduced due to preparation for collections moving out of the V&A by June 2027. From the end of September 2025, we are no longer able to consider new loan requests from other museums or institutions until after moves to our interim location are completed. An announcement will be made when we can reopen for loan requests in due course. The exact date will depend on our interim location.
RIBA Collections at The London Archives
Through our partnership with The London Archives (TLA) we are offering access to the most frequently requested Library material via their reading rooms in Clerkenwell. There you will find:
- most of our journals
- biographical files
- a small selection of quick reference material, including our indexes and biographical directories
- in-person access to the expertise of the RIBA Library team
Our collections at The London Archives are open:
- Mondays 10am to 4.30pm (last orders 3pm)
- Tuesdays 10am to 4.30pm (last orders 3pm)
- Wednesdays 10am to 7pm (last orders 4pm)
- Thursdays 10am to 4.30pm (last orders 3pm)
- , 10am to 4.30pm (last orders 3pm)
Upcoming closures:
- The London Archives has an annual closure from 4.30pm on Thursday 30 October, reopening on Monday 17 November 2025 at 10am. We will be observing this closure and resuming service from Monday 17 November.
- there will be no RIBA staff at TLA on Wednesday 10 December due to an all-staff event. Any material ordered on this day will be invigilated under TLA’s rules in the archive study area.
- The London Archives (including RIBA's service) will close for Christmas from 4.30pm on Tuesday 23 December, reopening on Monday 5 January 2026 at 10am.
Please visit for more information about their opening hours and directions.
Please note:
- users do not need to order items in advance of their visit to The London Archives, but we strongly recommend contacting us in advance via library@riba.org to check availability and the temporary location of the item(s) you wish to see. Because our collections are produced from the strongrooms on site, there will be a wait while anything you order on the day is retrieved. As we are using The London Archives’ retrievals service, please note applicable to the day of your visit.
- users will need to observe The London Archives’ regulations. This includes registering for a if you do not already have one (in which case please bring ID and proof of address to your first visit).
- Saturday opening: Our collections will be available to consult on the Saturdays () when The London Archives are open, but there will be no RIBA staff available to answer queries on the day. If you require help, please contact us in advance of your visit. Any items ordered on a Saturday will be invigilated under The London Archives' rules in their archives study area. This means you will need to if you wish to make copies as there will be no access to the RIBA scanner.
RIBA Collections at Crown Fine Art
At Crown Fine Art you will find our:
- Photographs Collection
- Books collection
- Early Works collection
- Library and Collections teams, providing in-person access to their expertise
Booking an appointment at Crown Fine Art
Our store at Crown Fine Art is open on Thursdays and Fridays by prior appointment. Sessions are available from 10am to 1pm and 2.15 to 5pm. Over the Christmas period, the last appointments at Crown will be on Friday 19 December, resuming from Thursday 8 January 2026.
Please note:
- for library appointments, please email librarybookings@riba.org with a list of the books you would like to see (up to 10 items per session), together with their shelf marks. You can find this information via our
- for photographs appointments, please email photo@riba.org with a list of the photographs you would like to see, together with their reference numbers. You can find this information via our
- once we have checked the availability of material we will confirm your appointment. We aim to respond within 7 days.
- it is not possible to browse our collections at Crown, and we will not be able to retrieve additional material at the time of your visit.
- each appointment is for one person, and anyone accompanying you will need to book a separate appointment.
- please advise us of any accessibility needs, such as step-free or wheelchair access, so we can best facilitate your visit.
- if you are looking for journals, the majority of these are available at The London Archives.
- readers visiting us at Crown will be made welcome but please note that it is a working store with similar conditions to the RIBA Collections’ Piper Centre. Crown’s security protocols for access will need to be observed and there are no on-site facilities for refreshments. Full details will be given when your booking is confirmed.
About our library
Our library offers access to books, periodicals, and photographs in the RIBA Collections. Our collections range from 15th century illustrated texts to the latest architectural journals and photographs from around the world. Please check our ahead of your visit.
Revisiting the Collections
Our items have been collected and catalogued over almost two centuries, with some items dating back to the 15th century. Some materials and descriptions contain outdated and offensive language or need further contextualising. We are working to address this and to ensure that our collections and descriptions are appropriate to our audiences today.
Donations
Our library is able to run thanks to the generous donations from supporters. If you would like to also contribute to the ongoing work and upkeep of our library and collections please consider donating to us.
