The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) has opened a new facility called the V&A East Storehouse in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The Storehouse is home to more than 250,000 objects, 350,000 library books, and 1,000 archives from the V&A’s diverse collections. Visitors can explore the Storehouse through workshops, screenings, performances, and pop-up displays of special collections.
They can also observe conservators at work preserving a wide range of cultural heritage objects. One of the unique features of the Storehouse is the “Order an Object” service.
V&A’s new East Storehouse experience
Visitors can book in advance to get up close and personal with their selection of items, ranging from artworks to textiles to musical instruments. A member of the Collections Access team will assist in interacting safely with the chosen objects. The Storehouse hosts some notable items, including the largest Picasso work in the world, the 1924 front stage cloth for the Ballets Russes’ production, ‘Le Train Bleu.’ Another standout piece is the 17th-century Agra Colonnade, an extraordinary example of Mughal architecture from the bathhouse at the fort of Agra, visible through the glass floor of the Weston Collections Hall.
The Weston Collections Hall features more than 100 mini curated displays, while the welcome area allows visitors to explore pull-out framed textiles. Mesh roll-out storage racking and a multi-purpose conservation studio are also accessible, offering insights into the conservation processes. The V&A East Storehouse provides a unique opportunity for visitors to engage with 5,000 years of human creativity, whether they are interested in historical artifacts, modern design, or the processes behind preserving cultural heritage.
