V&A East, Stratford: A museum built for a different generation

By Debika Ray 2026-04-15T06:00:00

Source: Hufton+Crow

Opening in the shadow of the former Olympic Park, V&A East seeks to reframe what a national museum can be. Debika Ray visits the building by O’Donnell + Tuomey to explore its architectural strategies for accessibility, sociability and civic presence

It is hard to miss. The new east London home for the Victoria & Albert Museum has not just one, but four large “V&A” signs on it – one mounted near the top, and one each above its entrances at the front, side and rear. The sand-coloured concrete panels on the angular facade are also arranged in a pattern that evokes the letters V and A, as are the pyramidical facets of the structure itself. The V&A brand is announcing its arrival in Stratford from every angle.

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