Exciting news in the museum world as the first site of the long-awaited Victoria & Albert Museum’s East extension has officially topped out as of this week.

The new V&A East has been years in the making. After overcoming roadblocks which threatened its existence beginning with sharp public criticism at its inception in 2016 and lasting all the way until this past fall, when it was announced that a much-heralded partnership with the American Smithsonian institution had to be called off thanks to unforeseen circumstances caused by the pandemic.

The O'Donnell + Tuomey-designed building is one of two slated to transform East London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park into a premier destination for the city’s artistic community.

The building was inspired by an x-ray of Cristóbal Balenciaga’s 1956 silk taffeta dress and will house a slate of progressive exhibitions and an employment program which includes the newly-established V&A East Youth Collective along with several varying artists residencies that will help define the institution as a socially conscious collaborative enterprise. 

Photos reveal a steel skeleton that will hold some 425 pre-cast concrete panels in addition to the floor plates for the five-story of performance and gallery spaces, a cafe, shopping areas, and three outdoor terraces which offer visitors views of the surrounding historic Stratford waterfront and park.

Once the panels are in place, the museum is expected to take its final form sometime in 2022 with the installation of windows and mechanical systems coming online before the project is finally handed over by MACE and LLDC to the V&A’s subcontractors, who will put the finishing touches on the building ahead of its official 2025 public opening.