Blythe House
We’re thrilled to share the details of a major project that marks a significant milestone for our company.
Since 2019, we’ve been deeply involved in the decant of Blythe House, a central storage hub for several museums since 1979. Our primary responsibility was to transfer the V&A’s extensive reserve collection to the brand-new V&A East Storehouse—a bold reimagining of how museums store and display collections. Now open to the public, the facility represents a ground-breaking approach to museum storage.
Over the course of this multi-year project, our team meticulously packed and transported an impressive 331,687 object parts. These items spanned a diverse range of materials, from the Clothworkers Textiles and dress collection, numerous and diverse ceramics and furniture collections, to gilt-framed paintings and delicate musical instruments—many of which hadn’t been moved or handled for decades. The project’s complexity was compounded by the unique handling needs of each item, which required tailored techniques to ensure their safety during transit.
The project management of this decant required 3 dedicated Technical Managers at its peak, who had many challenges to overcome. These included delays caused by Covid, delays in the construction project, as well as managing a large workforce, a complex vehicle schedule, and having to solve many technical problems in the daily run of the project.
In many cases, Constantine’s packing ideas and structures resulted in permanent storage solutions that significantly improved the long-term housing of objects. We also prioritized sustainability, repurposing T-frames, crates, and pallets wherever possible. This not only reduced environmental impact but also saved over 5 tonnes of CO2 emissions through the reuse of more than 100 crates.
The relocation process itself was a logistical feat, requiring 524 truckloads, mostly utilising our company’s largest dedicated fine art vehicle. This was a new addition to our fleet and features some of the most advanced specifications available on a fine art vehicle in the UK.
This successful project underscores our expertise in managing large scale, complex collection moves. Our continued collaboration with the V&A speaks to the trust and satisfaction earned through the seamless execution of this relocation.
Constantine’s commitment to professionalism and meticulous care was further recognised at the September 2024 Wroughton Conference. There, Philippa Mackenzie, Head of Collection Moves at the V&A at the time, commended our team’s exceptional packing work, urging other museums to consider contracting such specialised tasks in the future. This achievement has solidified Constantine’s reputation as a trusted partner in the art handling and collection relocation space.
We are incredibly proud of our role in this landmark project and look forward to future opportunities to contribute to the preservation and relocation of important cultural collections.
