Inside the grand opening of the V&A East Storehouse
V&A East Storehouse is Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park’s latest addition, where visitors can discover everything from vintage Dior to a chunk of the Robin Hood Gardens Council estate
V&A East Storehouse, the long-awaited V&A’s new facility in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, is opening its doors to the public this weekend, marking a major milestone in the development of the East Bank cultural quarter on the edge of Tower Hamlets.
Taking over a substantial section of Here East, the venue will display an eclectic collection of over 250,000 objects, 350,000 books and 1,000 archives – described by architect Liz Diller as an ‘immersive cabinet of curiosities’.
The new site was born from the institution’s practical challenge to rehouse parts of its collection not currently on display, turning it into a hybrid storehouse-museum experience that invites visitors to observe the museum’s inner workings.
Spanning four levels and designed by world-renowned architects Diller, Scofidio + Renfro, the team did not shy away from the industrial storage aesthetic, striking the balance between practical and aesthetically pleasing.
In tune with its east London setting, the Storehouse also hopes to highlight local creativity. New displays include a 17th-century embroidered sampler by a Hackney schoolgirl, a chunk of Robin Hood Gardens – a recently-demolished brutalist council estate in nearby Poplar – and a 1980s poster from Hackney’s Lenthall Road Workshop.
One of the most innovative offerings is the ‘Order an Object’ initiative, which allows visitors to request up-close viewing of items in the collection, from the stitching of a vintage Dior dress to fragments of ancient Egyptian textiles.
Almost two years after the opening of Young V&A in Bethnal Green, this is the next stage of this investment into young people in East London
V&A Director Tristram Hunt
Audiences will also get an opportunity to learn how items are archived and restored – observing its curators through a glass balcony overlooking the studio where they work.
Brendan Cormier, Chief Curator at V&A East, promises a ‘rich and varied programme of curated events, experiences, talks programmes and micro-residencies that celebrates East London and global creatives.’
Local transdisciplinary artist Adam Moore will be the programme’s first micro-resident in June, while Hackney Wick based designer Robyn Lynch was tasked with designing the museum staff uniform, inspired by 1990s vintage fishing vests.
The museum, which operates on a free general-admission model and doesn’t require advance bookings, has partnered with East-London bakery E5 Bakehouse for its in-house cafe, making up a third space where everyone is welcome.
Speaking to the Slice, V&A Director Tristram Hunt said: ‘Almost two years after the opening of Young V&A in Bethnal Green, this is the next stage of this investment into young people in East London. It’s about thinking about how communities can access this phenomenal collection – which belongs to them – while also supporting creative industries locally.’
V&A East Storehouse is the first of V&A East’s two new cultural destinations to open in east London, ahead of the V&A East Museum, which is scheduled to open in spring 2026.
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