Designed by Sydney Smirke and opened in 1857, the Reading Room was in continual use until its temporary closure for renovation in 1997. It was reopened in 2000, and from 2007 to 2017 it was used to stage temporary exhibitions. The Reading Room was closed to the public again in 2013 and converted for use as the museum's archive, with its future use remaining under discussion until 2023, when it was reopened for guided tours.
