The museum grew in phases from 1857. Francis Fowke designed the Sheepshanks Gallery that year and later the Secretariat Wing. Henry Young Darracott Scott built the Henry Cole Wing (1867–1872) and the Cast Courts (1870–73). The Ceramic Staircase, designed by F. W. Moody, was completed in 1871.
Aston Webb won the 1891 competition for the Cromwell Road facade, built from 1899 to 1909. It is red brick and Portland stone, 720 feet (220 m) long, with a tower crowned by a statue of Fame. The Cast Courts have ceilings 83 feet (25 m) high and hold a full-scale replica of Trajan's Column.
Amanda Levete's AL_A designed the Exhibition Road Quarter, opened in 2017. Its courtyard has 11,000 handmade porcelain tiles, and the column-free Sainsbury Gallery below covers 11,800 square feet (1,100 m²). The collection held 2.83 million objects in March 2025. Entry is free.
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