New V&A East Storehouse Offers Immersive Archival Experience
The Order an Object service offers visitors the chance explore the vast inventory of historic items and treasures up close
For visitors who have longed to peek inside the vast archives of a major institution such as London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, the new V&A East Storehouse makes that dream a reality. The sprawling depot, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, is home to more than 600,000 items and books. The free, self-guided cultural experience allows guests to grasp the immense scale and diversity of the holdings, witness conservation in action, and even inspect a historic treasure up close through the Order an Object service. “I hope our visitors enjoy immersing themselves in the full theater of a dynamic, working museum,” says the V&A’s deputy director and COO, Tim Reeve.
A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2025 Fall Issue in the section “Artful Life.” Subscribe to the magazine.