London's New V&A East is Designed to be *Your* Museum
Ahead of the much-anticipated opening, we take a closer look at the building, which as been designed with the local community in mind at all points.
After over 10 years in the making, the doors to the V&A East are almost ready to open to the public.
London’s Stratford has seen unprecedented development and change over the past two decades. First came the Olympics in 2012, and now, building on that legacy, the area is becoming a huge cultural quarter for the city’s Eastern boroughs.
A cornerstone of that is V&A East, designed by architects O’Donnell + Tuomey. With its facade being a nod to the area’s past, a key part of their inspiration has come from ensuring future visitors know that the museum is somewhere designed for them, not against them.
From outside, you walk straight into the building (past Thomas J Price’s 18ft sculpture), with no front desk to block your way. Wayfinding by Fieldwork Facility makes different exhibitions easy to find, and along your route, there are places to perch and just spend time.
Inside the V&A East galleries.David Parry
Inside the V&A East galleries.David Parry
Inside the V&A East galleries.David Parry
Inside the V&A East galleries.David Parry
Inside, local practice J A Projects has created the permanent exhibition space “Why We Make”, in collaboration with A Practice For Everyday Life, Larry Achiampong and the V&A East Youth Collective. With a huge emphasis on inclusivity and participation, the flexible layouts are inspired by markets and public gathering spaces.
“V&A East Museum is shaped by east London – its high streets, its parks, and the ways communities already gather, make and represent themselves,” J A Projects founder Jayden Ali says. “Developed in close collaboration with young people and local artists and designers, it draws directly from how space is shaped and inhabited across the city – from how shop fronts are illuminated to how textile is displayed – bringing those rhythms into the heart of the museum.”
“As east Londoners, we feel a deep sense of pride and responsibility to offer this to the communities we hold dear, and to the wider world – a museum that invites people in, supports different ways of being, and allows everyone to find their own place within it.”
Inside the V&A EastHufton + Crow
Inside the V&A EastHufton + Crow
Inside the V&A EastHufton + Crow
Inside the V&A EastHufton + Crow
Inside the V&A EastHufton + Crow
Inside the V&A EastHufton + Crow
In the main gallery, which will host a changing roster of exhibitions, will be a landmark show named “The Music is Black: A British Story, which is the largest ever exhibition on Black British music’s impact on culture across the UK and around the world.
“Music is the soundtrack to our lives, and one of the most powerful tools of unification. In The Music is Black: A British Story, we celebrate the richness and versatility of Black and Black British music as instruments of protest, affirmation, and creativity, and reveal the untold stories behind some of the world’s most popular music of all time,” says Jacqueline Springer, Curator of The Music Is Black: A British Story, and Curator of Africa and Diaspora Performance at the V&A.
V&A East opens to the public on April 18 2026.
V&A East
107 Carpenters Rd
London
E20 2AR
