V&A East Storehouse officially opens to the public on 31 May 2025, in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford. This brand-new space will offer a unique cultural experience, giving visitors behind-the-scenes access to the world’s leading collection of art, design and performance.
As well as offering unique access to the amazing object in the V&A’s collections, visitors will also be able to access over a thousand archives from the Archive of Art and Design and Theatre and Performance Archives.
Previously housed at Blythe House, these collections have been carefully packed, moved across London, and are now ready to be explored once again. Read on to find out how to view them at the brand-new Study Centre at V&A East Storehouse from 2 June 2025.
How to Access the Collections
1. Search the catalogue: Start with the Search the Archives online catalogue. You can use keywords to search for material of interest of interest, or if you already know which archive you are looking for you can click through to find the catalogue for each collection. Take a note of the specific file name and reference number of each item you would like to see.
2. Request your items: Once you’ve identified the items you need, please contact the V&A Archives enquiry team to request access. Please note that some archives are only accessible to view at V&A South Kensington, and our enquiry team will advise you which location you will need to visit to view your requested materials.
3. Book your visit: Access to the Study Centre is by appointment only. It will be open for archive appointments Monday to Wednesday, from 10:00 to 17:00. Appointments to view material from the National Video Archive of Performance will be available seven days a week [AK2] in 3 hour and 4 hour slots. When contacting us, let us know:
- Which items you’d like to consult (including item title and reference number if possible!)
- Your preferred date and time of visit
- Whether you will be accompanied by up to one guest
- Any access considerations
Please note: Space is limited and we may offer you an alternative date if your first choice is not available.
As well as opening up access to the archive collections, visitors will also be able to access around 350,000 books from the National Art Library (NAL), now stored at the V&A East Storehouse, including the Theatre and Performance Library and the children’s literature collection.
In September 2025, we will also be opening up access to the David Bowie Archive through a dedicated space in the David Bowie Centre at V&A East Storehouse.
V&A Archive and Registry will continue to be accessible by appointment through the National Art Library in South Kensington, but a small part of the collection will be at V&A East Storehouse. When requesting an appointment for the V&A Archive and Registry, staff will advise you on which location you will need to visit.
We are excited to welcome everyone to come and view our incredible archives at V&A East Storehouse. They are open to all to inspire creativity, research and a love for art, design and performance.
The V&A East Storehouse sounds amazing! Love the idea of public access to such a huge collection—can’t wait to visit and explore behind the scenes.
snow rider