The V&A Museum of Childhood in London will re-open on 9 December following a £4.7m refurbishment by London-based architects Caruso St John.

A new entrance – built in red marble and granite to complement the existing 130-year-old Victorian building – is expected to ease visitor congestion.

The revamped foyer now features an 85sq m (915sq ft) gallery displaying artwork and installations from the museum’s community programme, while the north basement’s new layout has resulted in improved lunchtime, cloakroom and toilet facilities for visitors.

A new learning centre provides a designated space for community art and craft workshops, while the capacity for school groups has doubled in size to cater for the more than 40,000 school children who visit the museum each year.

The existing mezzanine galleries now feature new displays on creativity and moving toys.

The re-opening kicks off with a new exhibition – Happy Birthday Miffy – to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the popular children’s character, alongside work by Miffy’s creator and illustrator, Dick Bruna.

The display – developed by Seven Stories in collaboration with Centraal Museum, Utrecht – runs until March 2007.

Future exhibits include Picasso: Histoire Naturelle from March to June 2007 and Feel the Force from July to November 2007.