V&A EAST MUSEUM: WHY WE MAKE

19 Jun

CLIENT: V&A East Museum
LOCATION: London
YEAR: 2026

Two permanent galleries showcasing global stories grounded in the rhythms of East London.

Image by Thomas Adank

JA Projects – working as part of an entirely East London team alongside A Practice for Everyday Life and artist Larry Achiampong – designed the brand new V&A East museum’s two permanent Why We Make galleries, as well as the incidental exhibition spaces that weave through the circulation areas. The museum creates a new cultural destination shaped around the interests, experiences and ambitions of young adults.

Our design approach was shaped by a vision of the institution as ‘a museum between cultures’ – a framing that honours the V&A’s heritage of presenting crafted narratives from across the globe, while embracing the diversity of the four boroughs that surround it. At the heart of the project is a commitment to honour the lived histories, creativity and embedded knowledge of East London’s diverse communities – establishing a museum that feels like an extension of the public spaces that connect the surrounding four Olympic boroughs and support the life that gives London its energy.

This concept draws on JA Projects’ long-term interest in celebrating lived experience, and in designing spaces where people feel most comfortable and supported. Working closely with the V&A East Youth Collective, and through the collaborative production of a reference book capturing familiar moments from surrounding neighbourhoods – from signage to lighting – the design reaches out to, welcomes, and channels the dynamism of the places where young people already ‘make space’. The rhythms, tones and textures of the galleries draw directly from East London’s parks and open spaces – filled with the smells and sounds of gathering – and from its high streets, which host everyday moments of exchange, craft and display.

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Images by Thomas Adank

The ambition is for the galleries to feel new and familiar at the same time. The open-plan arrangement draws on the way we move through and navigate the city – with large, central anchor displays acting as landmarks, while smaller curatorial sections are framed as neighbourhoods. Here, extraordinary objects sit alongside moments of making and interaction, supporting a more open and intuitive way of moving through the collection. The result is a suite of spaces that balance clarity and discovery, with displays embracing contrast and encouraging visitors to seek out stories that resonate with them.

Our approach seeks to dissolve physical and social barriers to entry by extending displays beyond the galleries, promoting direct views between spaces, and designing thresholds where objects invite visitors in and people are encouraged to pause and rest.

Inspired by the V&A’s South Kensington base, and the museum’s broader approach of embedding commissioning within the building fabric, these thresholds become moments to showcase collaborations with a range of contemporary designers and makers.

From dynamic, illuminated signage developed with A Practice for Everyday Life and Studio ZNA, to bespoke coloured tiles created with Palet, and a singular, double-sided bench enriched with stories from the Carpenters Estate, produced with Andu Masebo, these elements extend the gallery experience into moments of encounter and exchange.

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Images by Thomas Adank

Our design rethinks the infrastructure of a contemporary museum – how galleries are designed, assembled and adapted over time. Developed in collaboration with sustainability consultants URGE Collective, the approach prioritises flexibility and longevity.

Bespoke modular showcases and interchangeable display systems allow the galleries to continuously evolve, supporting changing narratives and modes of display. Materials are selected to be both rich in narrative and light in ecological footprint – from London Plane timber, given a second life, to illuminated fascias made from 100% recycled plastic – ensuring the spaces are as responsible as they are resonant.

At the heart of the galleries is an ambition to ‘care’ – for objects, stories and people. Our collaboration with Larry Achiampong and the V&A East Youth Collective focused on creating a diversity of spaces that allow young people to ‘be’ – from moments of collective participation to spaces for quieter reflection. Generous, comfortable seating is integrated throughout the galleries, while a dedicated film room provides a space to pause, dwell and immerse. Through the collaborative efforts of many hands, the V&A East Museum is a dynamic, inclusive and future-facing institution that pays homage to, and channels, East London’s unique sense of community, creativity and connection.