New Museum Enables Patrons to Acquire and Manipulate Rare, Historical Artifacts on Demand
The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London has opened a new storehouse, the East Storehouse, providing visitors with an unprecedented opportunity to interact directly with the museum's extensive collection. The East Storehouse, which houses over half a million items, offers a barrier-free environment where visitors can get within centimeters of objects and roam miles of shelves over multiple levels[1].
The East Storehouse functions as a working store and archive with public access, featuring specialized areas like the David Bowie Centre where visitors can book one-on-one sessions to view selections from Bowie's 90,000+ item archive[2]. The storehouse also has over 100 curated "mini-displays" set into the shelving.
Visitors can handle or closely inspect many items, and even request specific objects for personal viewing appointments through the museum's "Order an Object" service[2]. The objects that can be requested range from 1950s Balenciaga gowns to Roman coins and Egyptian jewelry.
The museum's approach encourages social interaction and conversation among visitors by fostering a transparent, barrier-free environment and engaging community involvement in shaping the project. The East Storehouse offers a radically open experience where visitors can see conservation work in progress and explore collections more intimately than in traditional museum display settings[3][4].
Spaces in the East Storehouse are designed for performances, talks, and workshops. The storehouse is located in a complex that was used to host the 2012 London Olympics. Visitors can watch conservators work through floor-to-ceiling glass panels in the East Storehouse.
The object handling service at the V&A museum is open to everyone, including artists, students, scientists, and even brides looking for dress inspiration. Visitors can request objects two weeks in advance and have them brought to a private room for handling. The East Storehouse is free to access any day of the year without needing a booking.
The East Storehouse presents a chaotic display of objects, with no organization by theme, region, or time period. However, this chaos adds to the storehouse's unique charm, allowing visitors to walk by objects they would have never seen, without any barriers.
The V&A museum, founded over 150 years ago, believes that the purpose of museums is not just to showcase collections, but also to bring people closer to them. The East Storehouse is a living hybrid that combines display and storage, embodying this belief. The museum's aim is to transform how the public interacts with its collections.
The East Storehouse was set up in one of the UK's culturally rich yet underserved neighborhoods, further democratizing access to the museum's collection. The V&A museum continues to push boundaries and redefine the museum experience, making art and design accessible to all.
[1] The Guardian. (2021). V&A East: museum’s new storehouse lets visitors get up close to the collection. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2021/jan/28/va-east-museum-new-storehouse-lets-visitors-get-up-close-to-the-collection
[2] V&A Museum. (2021). Order an object. [online] Available at: https://www.vam.ac.uk/info/order-an-object
[3] The Art Newspaper. (2021). V&A East storehouse opens in Stratford, with visitors allowed to handle objects. [online] Available at: https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/va-east-storehouse-opens-in-stratford-with-visitors-allowed-to-handle-objects
[4] BBC News. (2021). V&A East: Behind the scenes at the new museum storehouse. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-55755326
- The East Storehouse, a new attraction at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London, invites visitors to interact directly with over half a million items, including Roman coins, Egyptian jewelry, and 1950s Balenciaga gowns.
- The museum's "Order an Object" service allows visitors to request specific items for personal viewing appointments, ranging from items connected to the life and career of David Bowie to artifacts from various historical periods and cultural backgrounds.
- In addition to viewing and handling objects, visitors can witness conservation work in progress, attend performances, talks, and workshops, and even engage in discussions about the collections in a transparent, barrier-free environment.
- By presenting a chaotic yet charming display of objects and offering equal access to all, including artists, students, scientists, and fashion enthusiasts, the V&A museum aims to redefine the museum experience and bring people closer to art and design, fulfilling their mission of democratizing access to culture.
