🇬🇧 ​​V&A's Radical New Gallery: "Shopping" for Art Like IKEA?​​ 🏗️

Finally visited V&A's groundbreaking ​​"Open Storage" gallery​​ in Stratford - and wow, what a polarizing experience！ The new space shares a building with Bartlett architecture school, looking every bit the industrial warehouse from outside. ​​🔄 The "Transparent Museum" Concept​​ • ​​Rotterdam Depot vibes​​ - but with a British twist • ​​No traditional curation​​ - artifacts stacked like IKEA showroom (surreal!) • ​​Multi-level metal racks​​ replace glass cases - "see everything" approach ​​😵 The Mixed Experience​​ 👍 ​​Novelty factor​​ - unlike any museum visit before 👎 ​​Disorienting design​​: ➔ Sheer drops & transparent floors = constant low-key anxiety ➔ Crowds + protruding metal beams = elderly visitors feeling dizzy ➔ ​​Frustrating digital system​​ - QR codes often lead to dead ends (My brain kept switching to "IKEA autopilot mode" - hard to focus!) ​​🏆 Standout Pieces​​ 1️⃣ ​​Yonghe Zhang's "Split House" model​​ 2️⃣ ​​Robin Hood Gardens facade​​ - preserved before demolition 3️⃣ ​​Frankfurt Kitchen (1926)​​ - the OG feminist kitchen that freed women's time 4️⃣ ​​Frank Lloyd Wright's Kaufmann Office​​ ➕ Sydney Opera House hat, PH Artichoke lamp, Zaisu chairs... 🔁 Psst... exhibits rotate regularly! ​​💡 Why It Matters​​ This experimental space: • ​​Democratizes art access​​ (warehouse = no hierarchy) • ​​Prioritizes spectacle​​ over tradition • ​​Requires booking​​ for deeper engagement (unlike main V&A) 📍 ​​V&A East Storehouse​​ 🚇 Stratford Station (5-min walk) #MuseumInnovation #ArtWarehouse #VandA #LondonArt