diff --git a/DESCRIPTION b/DESCRIPTION
index 35e9bce..0327e21 100644
--- a/DESCRIPTION
+++ b/DESCRIPTION
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ Imports:
     graph,
     Matrix,
     methods,
-    Rarr,
+    Rarr (>= 2.1.9),
     RBGL,
     rlang,
     sf,
diff --git a/R/read.R b/R/read.R
index 3a3831d..fb2c9c0 100644
--- a/R/read.R
+++ b/R/read.R
@@ -44,30 +44,37 @@ NULL
 
 #' @importFrom Rarr read_zarr_attributes
 #' @importFrom ZarrArray ZarrArray
-.readArray <- function(x, ...) {
-    md <- read_zarr_attributes(x)
+.readArray <- function(x, md = NULL, ...) {
+    md <- md %||% read_zarr_attributes(x)
     mdattr <- SpatialDataAttrs(md)
     # TODO: paths to datasets have to be validated properly in the future
     # https://ngff.openmicroscopy.org/specifications/0.5/index.html#images
     # The name of the array is arbitrary with the ordering defined by
     # by the "multiscales" metadata, but is often a sequence starting at 0.
-    ds <- .validate_multiscales_paths(x, datasets(mdattr))
-    ds <- file.path(x, as.character(ds))
+    if (!any(startsWith(x, c("http://", "https://", "s3://")))) {
+      # Until we have a complete store interface (https://github.com/Huber-group-EMBL/Rarr/pull/176),
+      # only local objects can be fully validated.
+      ds <- .validate_multiscales_paths(x, datasets(mdattr))
+    } else {
+      # For remote objects, we skip validation and assume that the datasets are in the expected location.
+      ds <- datasets(mdattr)
+    } 
+    ds <- paste0(x, ds)
     as <- lapply(ds, ZarrArray)
     list(array=as, mdattr=mdattr)
 }
 
 #' @rdname readSpatialData
 #' @export
-readImage <- function(x, ...) {
-    l <- .readArray(x, ...)
+readImage <- function(x, md = NULL, ...) {
+    l <- .readArray(x, md = md, ...)
     SpatialDataImage(data=l$array, meta=l$mdattr, ...)
 }
 
 #' @rdname readSpatialData
 #' @export
-readLabel <- function(x, ...) {
-    l <- .readArray(x, ...)
+readLabel <- function(x, md = NULL, ...) {
+    l <- .readArray(x, md = md, ...)
     SpatialDataLabel(data=l$array, meta=l$mdattr, ...)
 }
 
@@ -76,9 +83,9 @@ readLabel <- function(x, ...) {
 #' @importFrom Rarr read_zarr_attributes
 #' @importFrom dplyr sql
 #' @export
-readPoint <- function(x, ...) {
-    pq <- list.files(x, "\\.parquet$", full.names=TRUE)
-    md <- read_zarr_attributes(x)
+readPoint <- function(x, md = NULL, ...) {
+    pq <- paste0(x, file.path("points.parquet", "part.0.parquet"))
+    md <- md %||% read_zarr_attributes(x)
     ax <- unlist(md$axes)
     df <- ddbs_open_dataset(pq, conn=.conn()) |>
         mutate(geometry=sql(sprintf("ST_Point(%s, %s)", ax[1], ax[2]))) |>
@@ -105,9 +112,10 @@ readPoint <- function(x, ...) {
 #' @importFrom duckspatial ddbs_open_dataset
 #' @import geoarrow
 #' @export
-readShape <- function(x, ...) {
-    md <- read_zarr_attributes(x)
-    pq <- list.files(x, "\\.parquet$", full.names=TRUE)
+readShape <- function(x, md = NULL, ...) {
+    md <- md %||% read_zarr_attributes(x)
+    # "shapes.parquet" currently hardcoded in SpatialData.io
+    pq <- paste0(x, "shapes.parquet")
     df <- ddbs_open_dataset(pq, conn=.conn(), crs=NA_character_)
     SpatialDataShape(data=df, meta=SpatialDataAttrs(md))
 }
@@ -118,7 +126,7 @@ readShape <- function(x, ...) {
 #' @importFrom S4Vectors metadata metadata<-
 #' @importFrom SummarizedExperiment colData colData<-
 #' @importFrom SingleCellExperiment int_colData int_colData<- int_metadata int_metadata<-
-readTable <- function(x) {
+readTable <- function(x, ...) {
     suppressWarnings({ # suppress warnings related to hidden files
       sce <- anndataR::read_zarr(x, as="SingleCellExperiment")
     })
@@ -145,10 +153,19 @@ readSpatialData <- function(x,
     args <- as.list(environment())[.LAYERS]
     skip <- vapply(args, isFALSE, logical(1))
     
+    x <- Rarr:::.normalize_array_path(x) 
+    store_meta <- Rarr:::.read_consolidated_metadata(x)$metadata
+    # is.null(.$data_type) is a hack that works for both v2 and v3 Zarr stores, to keep only
+    # groups, but not arrays
+    # In v3, we could just do .$node_type == "group", but in v2, there is no node_type.
+    store_groups <- names(store_meta[vapply(store_meta, \(.) is.null(.$data_type), logical(1))])
+    
     # helper for layer reading
     .readLayer <- \(l) {
-        j <- list.dirs(file.path(x, l), recursive=FALSE, full.names=TRUE)
+        message("  reading ", l, "...")
+        j <- store_groups[startsWith(store_groups, paste0(l, "/"))]
         names(j) <- basename(j)
+        
         opt <- args[[l]]
         if (!isTRUE(opt)) {
             if (is.numeric(opt) && opt > (. <- length(j)))
@@ -157,8 +174,12 @@ readSpatialData <- function(x,
                 stop("couldn't find ", l, " of name", .)
             j <- j[opt]
         }
-        f <- get(paste0("read", toupper(substr(l, 1, 1)), substr(l, 2, nchar(l)-1)))
-        lapply(j, \(.) do.call(f, list(.)))
+        reader <- get(paste0("read", toupper(substr(l, 1, 1)), substr(l, 2, nchar(l)-1)))
+        lapply(j, function(el) {
+            md <- store_meta[[el]]$attributes
+            el <- paste0(x, el, "/", recycle0 = TRUE)
+            reader(el, md=md)
+        })
     }
     
     names(ls) <- ls <- .LAYERS[!skip]