V&A East Storehouse: London’s Most Radical Museum Experience Opens to the Public

31 May 2025

Hufton Crow / courtesy of V&A

The Victoria and Albert Museum has officially launched one of its most ambitious and transformative projects to date: the V&A East Storehouse, which opened to the public on May 31, 2025. Situated in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, east London, this massive 16,000-square-meter space is unlike any museum the city has seen before. It represents a bold reimagining of what a museum can be by turning storage itself into a curated, interactive experience.

Occupying four floors in what was once the 2012 Olympic Media and Broadcast Centre, the Storehouse has been brought to life by the acclaimed architectural firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro. The concept is simple but revolutionary: rather than keeping artifacts tucked away behind closed doors, this space opens up the back rooms to the public. Glass floors, open shelving, and visible conservation areas make the building feel like a living, breathing organism, one that reveals the inner workings of cultural preservation and historical storytelling.

Inside, over 250,000 objects, 350,000 books, and more than 1,000 archives are on display or more accurately, on open view. From ancient artifacts to contemporary design pieces, the range of items covers nearly every corner of human creativity. Visitors can walk through towering stacks of archived objects and use digital kiosks to explore their backstories. One of the standout features is the “Order an Object” program, allowing guests to request a closer look at specific items that aren’t part of the day’s public displays.

Another immersive offering includes over 100 small, curated displays sprinkled throughout the venue, which are updated regularly. These include “Object Encounters” rotating showcases led by museum experts who tell the stories behind curious or significant items. This creates a more dynamic and flexible experience than the traditional museum model, inviting guests to engage differently with every visit.

Among the most striking architectural features is a 15th-century marquetry ceiling originally from Spain’s Altamira Palace, suspended above visitors in a glowing cube-like structure. There’s also a meticulously reconstructed 1930s office designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for Edgar J. Kaufmann Jr., seamlessly integrated into the Storehouse’s layout. These are not just displays, they are walk-through environments that invite deeper reflection on craftsmanship and design evolution.

The V&A East Storehouse is part of the larger East Bank initiative, London's most significant cultural investment in over a century. Alongside partners like the London College of Fashion and Sadler’s Wells East, the Storehouse anchors a creative hub meant to fuel innovation, inclusivity, and public engagement in one of the city's most diverse boroughs.

The Storehouse is free to enter and open daily from 10 AM to 6 PM, with extended hours until 10 PM on Thursdays and Saturdays. It’s accessible via Hackney Wick and Stratford stations, and is easily reachable by foot, bicycle, or shuttle.

In a world where museums are increasingly seeking to stay relevant in the digital age, the V&A East Storehouse sets a bold precedent. It’s a place where art is not just admired but actively explored. It breaks down barriers between curators and visitors, turning archives into adventures. And most of all, it transforms the very idea of what a museum can be making the invisible visible, and inviting everyone in.