The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London will open its V&A East Storehouse on 31 May, a vast open-access working store at the 2012 Olympics site in Stratford. Designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, the 16,000 sq. m space holds over 250,000 objects and 1,000 archives, allowing visitors to browse collections without glass cases via a self-guided route and an 'Order an Object' booking service. Deputy director Tim Reeve compares the experience to shopping at Ikea, emphasizing flexibility and public access.
This initiative matters because it challenges traditional museum display conventions by removing physical barriers and enabling direct engagement with national collections. It also fuels debate about museum growth and sustainability, as institutions like the British Museum display only 1% of their holdings. By offering free, daily access and a novel booking system, the V&A East Storehouse could set a new standard for public access to museum storage and reshape how audiences interact with cultural heritage.