V&A unveils plans for two new sites in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
The proposed new museum on the Stratford Waterfront will seek to engage local communities. Picture: O'Donnell+Tuomey - Credit: Picture: O'Donnell+Tuomey
V&A has unveiled plans to revolutionise the way in which its world leading collection of art, design and performance is explored and experienced.
The new Here East centre seeks to reinvent the idea of a museum store. Picture: Diller Scofidio + Renfro, 2018 - Credit: Picture: Diller Scofidio + Renfro, 2018
The V&A East project will create two new interconnected sites in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, which will include a brand new museum at Stratford Waterfront and a new collection and research centre at Here East.
It is anticipated that the two new sites will open in 2023.
The developers behind say they are committed to the local neighbourhood, whilst still maintaining a global outlook.
Director of the V&A, Tristram Hunt, said: “We will promote art for all.”
Deputy mayor for culture and the creative industries, Justine Simons OBE, added: “We are committed to delivering for east London communities.”
Deputy director and chief operating officer, Tim Reeve said that V&A East would continue in its determination to engage more diverse audiences by working with local groups and institutions.
Most Read
- 1 Man held in murder probe after woman fatally stabbed in Custom House
- 2 Man dies after falling unwell in Stratford
- 3 Queen’s Platinum Jubilee: Street parties and road closures in Newham
- 4 'Unexplained': Man dies after being found unresponsive in Plashet Park
- 5 Homes under the Planner: Applications lodged and approved in Newham
- 6 Two teenagers charged after 12 phones nicked in stealing spree
- 7 Man charged with fatal stabbing of woman in Custom House
- 8 Man allegedly commits GBH after robbing bottles of champagne from Tesco
- 9 Wanted: Five people Newham police wish to speak to
- 10 Iceland offers over 60s discount on shopping bill every week
The deputy mayor also said that the new developments would not only bring in £1.1bn of investment but also create 2,500 jobs and enrich the lives of millions of others.
The V&A’s major centre will be the V&A collection and research centre at Here East, which seeks to reinvent the idea of a museum store.
Visitors will have the opportunity to go on behind-the-scenes journeys to discover how and why objects are collected as well as how they are cared for, conserved, researched and displayed.
The V&A collection and research centre at Here East will host 250,000 objects and an additional 917 archives from across the V&A’s collection including fashion, textiles, furniture and many other areas.
Commenting on the new museum at Stratford Waterfront, Sheila O’Donnell and John Tuomey from O’Donnell and Tuomey, the designers behind the museum said: “The new museum is situated at the pivot-point of the East Bank project, a civic space at the crossroads between the public institutions and the residential Waterfront.
“We imagine the building as a freestanding pavilion, closely connected to its surroundings, its faceted form active on all sides, easily accessible from different directions.”
