Inside the V&A East Storehouse – a first look at London’s new free museum
Discover the new V&A East Storehouse in east London - free to visit. Opens 31 May.
www.visitlondon.comHere’s the latest on V&A East Storehouse based on recent reporting.
- The Storehouse opened to the public on 31 May 2025, after a decade of planning and consultation, and is part of the East Bank cultural quarter in Stratford, London [Blooloop: opening date and public access details] [Blooloop: Storehouse opening]. The site is designed as a “backstage pass” to the V&A, housing vast holdings and offering new ways to access objects beyond traditional museum spaces [Blooloop: concept and experience].
- Key features highlighted in coverage include the Order an Object service, which allows free access to request specific objects seven days a week, and a focus on making the collection more transparent and personalized for visitors [Blooloop: experience; Blooloop: quote on Order an Object]. The building was designed by Diller, Scofidio + Renfro and is located in the former Olympic media centre in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park [Blooloop: design; Blooloop: location].
- Reception from officials and media has framed the Storehouse as a significant shift in how the V&A opens its collections, with praise for its accessibility and innovative approach to curation and public engagement [Guardian: architectural impact; Artnet: “backstage pass”]. Coverage also notes that V&A East Museum is planned to follow, with a spring 2026 launch, expanding the East Bank offering [Blooloop: second site; Guardian: contextual commentary].
- For practical visiting info and programming, the V&A East Storehouse promotes free admission and accessibility, with details available on the V&A’s official East Storehouse page and Visit London’s preview articles [V&A East Storehouse official visit page; Visit London: early look].
Illustration of what to expect
- A large, warehouse-style space housing hundreds of thousands of objects, including mid-20th-century design, fashion, and performance materials, presented through rotating displays and curatorial programs; a separate “Order an Object” workflow lets visitors decide their own discovery path [Blooloop: range of collections; Artnet: exhibition concept; Visit London: preview].
If you’d like, I can pull up the latest official statements or summarize opening-day programs and current exhibitions in a concise bullet list with citations.