It’s been a huge couple of years for the National Gallery. The Trafalgar Square institution marked its 200th birthday in 2024 with a year of celebrations, and then in May of this year its Sainsbury Wing reopened after a two-year, £85 million refurb. If you’d assumed that the National Gallery might now take a breather, you’d be mistaken: the art museum has just unveiled plans for its biggest-ever transformation.
Today (September 9),the National Gallery has announced plans for an entire new wing. The extension will be built on St Vincent House, which is to the northwest of the museum’s main structure and directly north of the Sainsbury Wing. The site was acquired by the National Gallery 30 years ago, and it currently houses a hotel and offices.
And that isn’t all. The National Gallery is also developing and extending its collection, and promises a broader range of displays and exhibitions. The museum’s current collection dates back to the 13th century, and up to now it has only collected art up to around the year 1900. A new acquisition strategy will see the National Gallery collaborate with Tate to collect pieces from the entire 20th century, which is a frankly massive shift.
In all, the National Gallery says this will be the institution’s biggest transformation since it was formed just over 200 years ago. The new wing has already secured £375 million in funding in the form of cash pledges, and is expected to cost a total of £400 million.
Commenting on the plans, National Gallery director Sir Gabriele Finaldi said: ‘With the Bicentenary celebrations now completed, the NG looks to the future. We want to be the place where the UK public and visitors from across the globe can enjoy the finest painting collection in the world from medieval times to our own, in a superb architectural setting.
‘We are hugely excited by these developments and are immensely grateful to our donors for their support – on an unprecedented scale – as the National Gallery steps into its third century. We look forward to an ever-closer collaboration with Tate on this significant new initiative.’
The National Gallery’s new wing is expected to open in the early 2030s.
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