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| V&A museum project boosted by billionaire's donation | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The V&A’s new Exhibition Road entrance will be named after Britain’s richest man, Len Blavatnik, after his foundation donated money that brings the museum to 95% of fundraising for the £49.5m project. | The V&A’s new Exhibition Road entrance will be named after Britain’s richest man, Len Blavatnik, after his foundation donated money that brings the museum to 95% of fundraising for the £49.5m project. |
| The museum is not revealing how big Blavatnik’s donation is, although it is believed to be about £5m. | The museum is not revealing how big Blavatnik’s donation is, although it is believed to be about £5m. |
| It is a welcome boost for the V&A but is likely to cause controversy after Oxford University was last year criticised for accepting £75m from the Ukraine-born billionaire US citizen to build the Blavatnik school of government. | |
| Related: Blavatnik School of Government: a corporate temple among Oxford's dreaming spires | |
| A letter to the Guardian accused the university of failing to investigate whether Blavatnik and other “oligarchs” played any role in what they describe as a state-sponsored campaign of harassment against BP in Russia. | A letter to the Guardian accused the university of failing to investigate whether Blavatnik and other “oligarchs” played any role in what they describe as a state-sponsored campaign of harassment against BP in Russia. |
| The letter accused Oxford of “selling its reputation and prestige to [Vladimir] Putin’s associates”. | The letter accused Oxford of “selling its reputation and prestige to [Vladimir] Putin’s associates”. |
| Blavatnik, with an estimated fortune of £13bn, has been a sponsor of the arts in Britain for years. He has sponsored exhibitions at institutions such as the British Museum and the National Gallery and donated to projects such as Tate Modern’s The Tanks. | Blavatnik, with an estimated fortune of £13bn, has been a sponsor of the arts in Britain for years. He has sponsored exhibitions at institutions such as the British Museum and the National Gallery and donated to projects such as Tate Modern’s The Tanks. |
| The V&A’s director, Martin Roth, said the museum had worked with the Blavatnik foundation for a long time. “It is a very close relationship,” he said. “It is a constant relationship.” | The V&A’s director, Martin Roth, said the museum had worked with the Blavatnik foundation for a long time. “It is a very close relationship,” he said. “It is a constant relationship.” |
| The director of development, Jane Lawson, said fundraising was far from easy. “Luckily we have great collections, a great programme so we do our best … we are on a hamster wheel.” | The director of development, Jane Lawson, said fundraising was far from easy. “Luckily we have great collections, a great programme so we do our best … we are on a hamster wheel.” |
| Blavatnik will join philanthropic names at the V&A such as Weston (the Weston Cast Court), Sackler (the Sackler Centre for Arts Education) and Porter (the Porter Gallery, which houses temporary displays). | Blavatnik will join philanthropic names at the V&A such as Weston (the Weston Cast Court), Sackler (the Sackler Centre for Arts Education) and Porter (the Porter Gallery, which houses temporary displays). |
| It is likely that the V&A’s new entrance hall, when it opens in 2017, will be called the Blavatnik Hall. | It is likely that the V&A’s new entrance hall, when it opens in 2017, will be called the Blavatnik Hall. |
| The donation was announced as the V&A gave an update on its various projects. | The donation was announced as the V&A gave an update on its various projects. |
| The Exhibition Road project is a vast one, creating a new underground 1,200 sq metre space for big, temporary shows. | The Exhibition Road project is a vast one, creating a new underground 1,200 sq metre space for big, temporary shows. |
| More than 22,000 cubic metres of soil has been removed from the site, the museum said, the equivalent of 10 Olympic swimming pools. | More than 22,000 cubic metres of soil has been removed from the site, the museum said, the equivalent of 10 Olympic swimming pools. |
| The next phase of installation has begun, with more than 14,500 porcelain tiles being created in the Royal Tichelaar Makkum factory in Holland. | The next phase of installation has begun, with more than 14,500 porcelain tiles being created in the Royal Tichelaar Makkum factory in Holland. |
| Roth said the project would “transform the experience of the V&A for our visitors, create further connections with our neighbouring museums and enable us to present more of our collection of art and design as well as international design exhibitions in spectacular new gallery space”. | Roth said the project would “transform the experience of the V&A for our visitors, create further connections with our neighbouring museums and enable us to present more of our collection of art and design as well as international design exhibitions in spectacular new gallery space”. |
| The V&A is also moving into east London. Along with Sadler’s Wells, University of the Art London’s London College of Fashion and University College London it is setting up an outpost on the former Olympic site, named Olympicopolis by the London mayor, Boris Johnson. | The V&A is also moving into east London. Along with Sadler’s Wells, University of the Art London’s London College of Fashion and University College London it is setting up an outpost on the former Olympic site, named Olympicopolis by the London mayor, Boris Johnson. |
| David Bickle, the V&A’s new director of design, exhibitions and FuturePlan, said at the core of the new building would be its ability to respond quickly to current affairs, using objects from its vast collection. | David Bickle, the V&A’s new director of design, exhibitions and FuturePlan, said at the core of the new building would be its ability to respond quickly to current affairs, using objects from its vast collection. |
| V&A East will be a seven-storey 18,000 sq metre building opposite Zaha Hadid’s aquatics centre. “It will be an entirely new kind of civic building,” said Bickle. “We will support the newest ideas, technology and talent for a collaborative year-round programme.” It hopes to open at the end of 2021. | V&A East will be a seven-storey 18,000 sq metre building opposite Zaha Hadid’s aquatics centre. “It will be an entirely new kind of civic building,” said Bickle. “We will support the newest ideas, technology and talent for a collaborative year-round programme.” It hopes to open at the end of 2021. |