The V&A East Museum in London opens its doors to the public

A place for meeting and inspiration, celebrating the power of creativity to generate change: this is how O’Donnell + Tuomey envisioned the V&A East Museum in London, which will open to the public on Saturday, April 18, 2026, in the heart of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Located in East Bank, specifically on Waterfront Square, the V&A East Museum is a welcoming and inclusive institution, shaped from its inception with the participation of young people, creatives, and residents of East London. The project, dedicated to craftsmanship and the culture of making in all its forms, is designed to spark curiosity and invite visitors to explore the works housed within.

The V&A East Museum features two free permanent galleries, Why We Make, showcasing over 500 objects from the V&A collection, ranging from architecture to visual and performing arts, including fashion. For the opening, visitors will also be able to experience the first temporary exhibition, The Music is Black: A British Story, which traces 125 years of Black British music and its global impact.

The new museum stands next to the V&A East Storehouse, the conservation and archiving center designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, which opened a year ago.

V&A East Museum, an open place for all

The architectural concept is based on the idea of an intermediate space: a protective outer shell encloses a rational inner core, inspired by the sculptural cut of Cristóbal Balenciaga featured in the V&A collection. The space between the façade and the structure hosts a sequence of scenographic pathways that guide visitors upward through the building.

The two entrances—one on the waterfront side and the other at podium level—are both defined by triangular openings that echo tailoring cuts. Both ensure barrier-free access to the museum, reinforcing its identity as an open and genuinely public place.

The entrance on Waterfront Square is marked by the presence of A Place Beyond, a monumental 5.5-meter-tall bronze sculpture by artist Thomas J Price, the largest he has created to date. Unveiled last March, the work is described by the V&A East Museum as a “quiet symbol of change”: it depicts a young woman, casually dressed and holding a phone, as she “looks toward a horizon full of possibilities”.

The building’s five publicly accessible levels include two permanent galleries—along with a third 900 m² space for temporary exhibitions—an event space on the top floor, educational areas, and a café.

The three-dimensional façade is composed of 479 prefabricated sand-colored concrete panels, engraved with profiles that reference the distinctive V&A logo. The lines of the panels create a unified pattern across the façade, giving it a dynamic and ever-changing appearance as the light shifts throughout the day.

Benches integrated into the façade extend the museum’s threshold into the public realm, with which the building also establishes material continuity through terrazzo flooring. Along the ascending route leading to the galleries, carefully positioned openings and open terraces allow a calibrated influx of natural light into the interiors, conceived as a refined neutral backdrop that enhances both the artworks on display and the live events hosted within the museum.

>>> Discover also the Young V&A and the V&A Photography Centre