V&A East Storehouse to allow public bookings for rare artifacts including David Bowie guitar
The Victoria and Albert Museum will allow visitors to book appointments to view and, in some cases, touch rare artifacts at the V&A East Storehouse, according to official project plans. The new facility in East London will feature a unique system where the public can order specific objects from the museum’s vast collection, including original works by Beatrix Potter and a guitar owned by David Bowie.
Located in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, the V&A East Storehouse is designed to shift the museum experience from a curated gallery to a user-led exploration of archives. While traditional museums typically keep the majority of their collections in closed storage, the Storehouse will make millions of objects accessible to the public for the first time. The facility is scheduled to open to the public in 2026, as part of a broader cultural expansion into East London by the Victoria and Albert Museum.
The “ordering” system will enable researchers, students, and general visitors to select items from the museum’s digital catalogue and request them for a viewing appointment. This approach aims to democratize access to art and design history, moving away from the “white cube” gallery model. Museum officials have stated that a significant portion of the collection will be stored in open-access racks, though the most fragile items will remain in climate-controlled environments and require specific bookings.
How the V&A East Storehouse object booking system works
Visitors will use a digital interface to browse the V&A’s extensive archives and “order” objects they wish to see in person. Once a request is made, museum staff will retrieve the item from the storehouse and present it in a dedicated viewing area. This process is intended to foster a deeper connection between the public and the physical history of design, allowing for a more intimate encounter than is possible behind glass display cases.
The booking system is not limited to high-profile celebrity items. It is designed to support academic research and curiosity-driven visits. According to the V&A, the Storehouse will house approximately 250,000 objects, providing a scale of access that exceeds most public museum storage initiatives. The facility’s architecture is specifically designed to accommodate this flow of objects, with integrated transport systems to move artifacts from high-density storage to the public viewing zones.
For items that are not suitable for touch, the museum will provide high-resolution digital counterparts or allow viewing under strict conservation supervision. However, the V&A has confirmed that a curated selection of “touchable” objects will be available, allowing visitors to feel the textures, weights, and materials of historical artifacts, provided they meet specific conservation safety standards.
Accessing rare artifacts: From David Bowie to Beatrix Potter
Among the most anticipated items available for booking are the personal effects of cultural icons. A guitar used by David Bowie will be among the accessible pieces, offering a tactile link to the evolution of 20th-century music and performance art. By allowing visitors to see these items up close, the museum aims to highlight the craftsmanship and wear-and-tear that reveal how these objects were actually used by the artists.
The collection also includes original sketches and manuscripts from Beatrix Potter. These works, often kept in dark archives to prevent light damage, will be available for scheduled viewing. The V&A East Storehouse will utilize advanced lighting controls and short-term exposure limits to ensure that these delicate paper works are preserved while still being accessible to the public.
This strategy of “on-demand” viewing allows the museum to rotate its displays more frequently and give visibility to objects that would otherwise never be seen in the main South Kensington galleries. The diversity of the accessible collection ranges from ancient textiles and ceramics to contemporary fashion and industrial design prototypes.
The shift toward open storage and tactile learning
The V&A East Storehouse represents a broader trend in museology known as “open storage.” Traditionally, museums only display a small fraction—often less than 5%—of their total holdings. By opening the storehouse, the V&A is challenging the notion that archives should be the exclusive domain of scholars and curators.
Tactile interaction is a central pillar of this new model. According to conservation experts, touching certain materials can provide insights into the manufacturing process and the quality of materials that visual observation alone cannot convey. To manage this, the V&A is implementing a strict classification system to determine which objects are “touch-safe” and which require absolute isolation.
This tactile approach is expected to make the museum more inclusive, particularly for visually impaired visitors who rely on touch to understand form and texture. By integrating accessibility into the core design of the Storehouse, the V&A is expanding the definition of what a museum visit entails, moving from passive observation to active engagement.
Impact on the Stratford cultural district
The Storehouse is one of two major V&A projects in East London. Its companion, V&A East, will be a contemporary museum focusing on the intersection of design and technology. Together, these institutions are part of a strategic effort to shift the cultural center of gravity away from West London and into the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park area.
The development is expected to drive significant footfall to the Stratford area, supporting local businesses and creating educational opportunities for residents of Newham and Tower Hamlets. The V&A has emphasized that the Storehouse is not just a warehouse for objects, but a “learning laboratory” where the public can see how curators and conservators work in real-time.
The construction of the facility focuses on sustainability, utilizing low-carbon materials and energy-efficient climate control systems to maintain the integrity of the artifacts. This ensures that the expansion of public access does not come at the cost of long-term preservation.
Comparing the Storehouse to traditional gallery models
The difference between the V&A East Storehouse and the main V&A museum in South Kensington is fundamental. The South Kensington site follows a curated narrative, where experts decide which objects best tell a specific story of art or history. The Storehouse, conversely, offers a non-linear experience where the visitor defines the narrative by choosing the objects they wish to encounter.
| Feature | Traditional Gallery (South Kensington) | V&A East Storehouse (Stratford) |
|---|---|---|
| Curation | Expert-led, themed exhibitions | Visitor-led, on-demand bookings |
| Accessibility | Objects behind glass/barriers | Open racks and touchable artifacts |
| Collection Volume | Small percentage of total holdings | Massive scale of open-access archives |
| Visitor Role | Passive observer | Active researcher/explorer |
Preservation challenges of public access
Increasing public access to rare objects introduces significant conservation risks. Light exposure, humidity fluctuations, and the oils from human skin can all degrade artifacts over time. To mitigate these risks, the V&A East Storehouse will employ a tiered access system. Objects will be categorized by their sensitivity, with the most fragile items requiring specialized handling and restricted viewing durations.
The museum is also investing in new conservation technologies, including advanced sensors that monitor the environment around an object in real-time during a booking appointment. If temperature or humidity levels deviate from the safety threshold, the object will be returned to its climate-controlled housing immediately.
The decision to allow touching is based on rigorous testing of materials. Only objects made of stable, non-reactive materials—such as certain metals, ceramics, or treated plastics—will be designated as touchable. Organic materials like silk, old paper, or unstable pigments will remain strictly off-limits to physical contact to prevent permanent damage.
What happens next for V&A East Storehouse
As construction continues in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the V&A is refining the digital platform that will handle the object booking system. This platform will need to synchronize with the museum’s internal inventory management system to ensure that requested objects are located and prepared for viewing without delay.
The museum is expected to release more details regarding the specific list of “touchable” objects as the 2026 opening date approaches. There are also plans to integrate educational programs into the Storehouse, allowing students to work directly with artifacts to learn about material science and history.
The next confirmed milestone for the project is the continued phased development of the Stratford site, with the museum providing periodic updates on construction progress and the finalization of the digital catalogue for public use. Visitors are encouraged to monitor the official V&A website for booking window announcements and membership perks related to the new site.
Do you think museums should allow the public to touch rare artifacts, or is the risk to preservation too high? Share your thoughts in the comments below.