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Designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, the V&A East Storehouse in east London allows the public to get up close and personal with thousands of design treasures

- ELLIE STATHAKI

Museum displays are typically the tip of a collection’s iceberg, but this is neatly turned on its head at London’s V&A East Storehouse. The Victoria and Albert Museum family’s newest outpost opens this month in Stratford’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park - neighbouring institutions include Sadler's Wells East and the upcoming V&A East Museum, set to open in 2026. Part of a growing cultural hub, the Storehouse, designed by New York-based architect practice Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R), with support from UK-based studio Austin-Smith Lord, is also a pioneering statement in museum storage; crossing its threshold is not only a deep dive into the celebrated institution’s vast and varied holdings, but also offers unprecedented public access to all its treasures. In short, this is a museum, but not as you know it.