The Victoria and Albert Museum has opened its doors to its groundbreaking new space, the V&A East Storehouse.
Located in East Bank, London’s vibrant new cultural quarter in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, this innovative venue redefines what a museum can be. Designed by the world-renowned architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro, the V&A East Storehouse offers an unprecedented opportunity for visitors to explore the treasures of one of the world’s leading collections of art, design, and performance.
A museum reimagined
The V&A East Storehouse is no ordinary museum. Spanning an impressive 16,000 square meters—larger than 30 basketball courts—it is a hybrid space that combines the functionality of a working museum store with the accessibility of a visitor attraction. Housing over 250,000 objects, 350,000 books, and 1,000 archives, the storehouse immerses visitors in a world of creativity, history, and innovation.
At the heart of the experience is the Weston Collections Hall, a stunning central space that offers panoramic views across all four levels of the storehouse. Here, visitors can explore over 100 curated displays, showcasing everything from ancient Buddhist sculptures to PJ Harvey’s guitar, Suffragette scarves, and even Thomas Heatherwick’s model for the London 2012 Olympic Cauldron. Six monumental objects anchor the space, including the world’s largest Pablo Picasso work, Le Train Bleu stage cloth, and Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office.
Elizabeth Diller, Founding Partner of Diller Scofidio + Renfro, describes the space as “a vast Cabinet of Curiosities,” where visitors are guided not by traditional curatorial logic but by their own curiosity.
Radical access to national treasures
One of the most revolutionary aspects of the V&A East Storehouse is its Order an Object service, which allows visitors to book access to any item in the collection, free of charge. From ancient Egyptian shoes to avant-garde fashion by Vivienne Westwood, the service offers an unparalleled opportunity to engage with the V&A’s treasures on a personal level.
Since its launch earlier this month, over 1,000 objects have already been ordered, with the most popular being a 1954 pink silk taffeta evening dress by Cristóbal Balenciaga. Tim Reeve, Deputy Director and COO of the V&A, calls the storehouse “a backstage pass to the V&A,” offering access to the collections on a scale previously unimaginable.
A space for creativity and collaboration
The V&A East Storehouse is more than just a repository of objects; it is a living, breathing space for creativity and collaboration. Co-production projects with young East Londoners and local communities bring fresh perspectives to the collections, with oral histories, films, and new artworks adding layers of meaning to the displays.
The space will also host a dynamic program of live events, including back2back: Archival Bodies on June 7 and the launch of a new series, A Life in the Work of Others, featuring Turner Prize-winning artist Jasleen Kaur, on June 26.
A vision for the future
The V&A East Storehouse is the first of two new cultural destinations from the V&A in East London. Its sister site, the V&A East Museum, is set to open in spring 2026, focusing on the power of making and creativity to drive change. Together, these spaces form a cornerstone of East Bank, a £1.1 billion cultural and educational district supported by the Mayor of London, HM Government, and the Olympic boroughs.
Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, hailed the project as “a groundbreaking museum experience that will revolutionize access to the world’s leading collection of art, design, and performance.”
Plan your visit
The V&A East Storehouse is open seven days a week from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, with late-night openings on Thursdays and Saturdays until 10:00 PM. Visitors can explore the collections, enjoy special events, and relax at the on-site café, e5 Storehouse. Access to the David Bowie Archive will begin on September 13, 2025, when the David Bowie Centre opens as part of the storehouse.
As the V&A East Storehouse opens its doors, it invites everyone to step inside and discover a treasure trove of creativity, history, and inspiration. Whether you’re captivated by ancient artifacts, modern design, or the stories behind the objects, this bold new space promises an experience like no other.
Sort your visit out at the V&A East Storehouse website