It's been a busy couple of years for the team of London's prestigious V&A museum, and 2026 won't be any quieter. Following the opening of the nearby V&A East Storehouse in Stratford's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park last spring, which allows guests to observe the institution's history-spanning collection up close through its interactive warehouse layout, V&A East is getting ready to welcome its first guests just a few minutes south of the river over the weekend.
The building, expanding over five floors for a height of 42.5 meters and covers a surface of 7,000 square meters, was designed by Irish studio O'Donnell + Tuomey after a 1954, sculptural Balenciaga gown. Beyond its prismatic, jewel-like cement and glass façade, a whole new world awaits: beginning this Saturday, April 18, the V&A East will entertain Londoners and travelers alike across a series of rotating art and design exhibitions, exclusive new commissions, permanent galleries capturing the breadth of human craftsmanship across geographies and epochs, and inspiring retail spaces, including the debuting treasure trove that the V&A Shop is set to become.
