V&A East Storehouse is officially opening to the public on 31 May 2025, as part of East Bank 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.
Discover Treasures from the National Art Library from 2 June 2025
As well as exploring thousands of incredible objects from the V&A’s collection, 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.
These include:
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- The children’s book collections, including the 80,000-strong Renier Collection
- The theatre and performance library collections
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Previously housed at Blythe House, these collections have been carefully packed, moved across London, and are now ready to be explored once again. After five years in storage, we’re thrilled to offer access to them from 2 June 2025, through our brand-new study centre at V&A East Storehouse.
How to Access the Collections
If you’d like to consult the library collections at V&A East Storehouse:
- Search the catalogue:
Start with the NAL online catalogue. To find items stored at V&A East Storehouse, use the ‘branch’ filter and select ‘V&A East Storehouse Study Centre’. This will limit your search to what’s available at the new location. - Request your items:
You’ll notice that items held at V&A East Storehouse don’t have a ‘request’ button like those at South Kensington. Instead, once you’ve identified the items you need, please contact the NAL enquiry team to request access. - Book your visit:
Access to the study centre is by appointment only. It will be open Monday to Wednesday, from 10:00 to 17:00, with both half-day and full-day appointments available.
When contacting us, let us know:- Which items you’d like to consult (title, author, publication date and library pressmark if possible!)
- Your preferred date and time of visit
- Any access considerations
Please note: Space is limited and demand is expected to be high. We may offer you an alternative date if your first choice is fully booked.
We can’t wait to welcome researchers, students, creatives, and curious minds to explore these incredible resources—whether for academic study, creative work, or personal interest.
Stay tuned for upcoming public events, talks, and blog posts celebrating these fascinating collections!
