The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) has revealed that the much-anticipated V&A East Storehouse will open its doors next year. This expansive, open-access storage facility will be located at the former 2012 Olympics site in Stratford, east London, and will house over 250,000 objects. A significant portion of David Bowie's memorabilia will be showcased at the David Bowie Centre, which will open within the museum's East Storehouse and feature more than 90,000 items spanning the music legend's career.
The East Storehouse is scheduled to open on 31 May, while the David Bowie Centre will welcome visitors starting 13 September 2025. Both venues will offer free entry. According to a V&A statement, the David Bowie Centre will delve into "the stories behind the creation of some of Bowie's iconic albums and personas, from Aladdin Sane to The Thin White Duke, and his significant influence on creatives from Lana del Rey to Lil Nas X and Issey Miyake."
The centre will be divided into three zones, featuring curated displays, audio-visual installations, and study areas. Unlike traditional archives, visitors will have the freedom to explore the Bowie archive independently. The storehouse will also introduce the seven-day-a-week Order An Object initiative, enabling visitors to pre-book and view items from its entire collection up close.
This design aims to "provide unprecedented access and greater transparency, breaking down physical barriers and removing glass cases to bring visitors closer than ever before to their national collections," as stated in a project overview. The announcement of the new Bowie Centre follows the V&A's acquisition of Bowie's archive with the support of his estate, the Blavatnik Family Foundation, and Warner Music Group.
Tim Reeve, deputy director of the V&A, commented: "The opening of V&A East Storehouse next May fulfills our ambition to set a new standard for access to national collections, in an area of London with such a rich creative heritage and a vibrant, talented creative community." Mayor of London Sadiq Khan added: "The opening of the V&A East Storehouse next year will be a wonderful addition to our capital's cultural landscape. The working store will offer Londoners and visitors unprecedented free access to a wide variety of creative works, from Roman artefacts to modern-day music archives."
"It's another hugely significant moment in the creation of our powerhouse for innovation, creativity, and learning at East Bank, as we build a better London for everyone," he concluded. The East Storehouse is the first of two new V&A attractions opening in east London, with the V&A East Museum set to launch in spring 2026. These twin projects represent the largest UK museum development scheme in decades.
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