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The V&A East Storehouse opens its doors to the public on May 31 at the 2012 London Olympics site in Stratford, east London. The new facility, part of the Victoria and Albert Museum, offers a unique experience that allows visitors to get closer than ever to their national collections. Housed in part of the former Olympics Media Centre and designed by architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro, the depot spans four levels and 16,000 sq.
m. It is admission-free.
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A key feature of the space is its flexible “kit of parts,” enabling objects to come on and off display easily.
Visitors can access all objects through the “Order an Object” service. This new approach allows patrons to book up to five objects related to their interests two weeks in advance.
Opening to the public
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Tim Reeve, deputy director and chief operating officer, acknowledges the challenge of meeting potentially high demand for the service.
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The service’s success will be evaluated over time, with an initial offering of 25,000 appointment slots over a 12-month period. The V&A’s facility aims to offer a more equitable and accessible experience compared to the typically complicated access at other open-access storage centers.
The new storehouse also fuels ongoing debates about the sustainability of museum collections and space limitations. The nearby V&A East Museum, scheduled to open in spring 2026, will complement the Storehouse. Together, these projects represent the largest UK museum development scheme in decades.
Inside the Storehouse, six dramatic large-scale objects are built into the structure, including the Agra Colonnade from India (1637), a Frankfurt Kitchen by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky (1926), and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Kaufmann office (1937). The V&A East Storehouse aims to become a well-utilized resource for the local community in east London. Reeve says, “One day, I would like to see a future director of V&A East inspired to enter the world of museums through a visit to V&A East Storehouse.”
This innovative project could serve as a model for future museum operations, balancing accessibility with preservation and engaging the public in new and meaningful ways.
