A branch of the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), which covers the history of art and design, has been announced for Stratford, east London.
“V&A East” will be located on two sites at the former Olympic Park. One will be a five-storey building, designed by Dublin architect O’Donnell + Tuomey that will contain two galleries, and the other will be a collection and research centre, designed by New York firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Britain’s Austin-Smith:Lord.
Image courtesy of O’Donnell + Tuomey/Ninety90
Permanent features will include Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s plywood office for American businessman Edgar Kaufmann and a 15th-century marquetry ceiling from the now-destroyed Altamira Palace near Toledo, Spain, which will be rebuilt in the museum.
The V&A will work with the Smithsonian Institution, the largest museum and research complex in the world, on exhibitions displayed in a jointly-curated gallery.
It will be situated next to the College of Fashion, a dance venue for Sadler’s Wells and BBC studios for performance, rehearsal and broadcast.
Image courtesy of Diller Scofidio + Renfro
Sadiq Khan, London’s mayor, said: “As London’s centre of gravity extends east, our plans for East Bank make sure that high-quality culture and education are right at the heart of the development of our Olympic legacy.”
V&A East is due to open in 2023.Â
Top image courtesy of O’Donnell + Tuomey
