Following closely on the heels of Selldorf Architects’s architectural intervention at the National Gallery’s Sainsbury Wing, the London art museum has announced an international competition to design a major new wing slated to be its most significant expansion since its founding in 1824. The project, titled Project Domani, will extend the Gallery into the St. Vincent House site, a property the museum acquired nearly 30 years ago that currently houses a hotel and office complex.
The proposed wing will provide new galleries and public spaces intended to accommodate the Gallery’s expanding collection and growing visitor numbers. Beyond the building itself, the project is also set to reshape the public realm between Leicester Square and Trafalgar Square, embedding the Gallery more deeply into London’s cultural quarter.
Architects are invited to submit expressions of interest by October 17, after which up to six firms will be shortlisted to participate in the second stage. The National Gallery has framed the commission as an opportunity for both established and emerging architects to shape a landmark addition to London’s architecture.
The announcement emerges just after another significant architectural transformation at the National Gallery. In May, Selldorf Architects completed its renovation of the museum’s Sainsbury Wing, originally designed by Venturi, Scott Brown & Associates in 1991. The project reworked the main entrance and expanded public facilities, but was marked by public disputes. Denise Scott Brown fiercely opposed the changes, accusing Selldorf of stripping the building of its character. Scott Brown went so far as to describe the renovation as “a circus clown wearing a tutu,” underscoring the divisive reception.
Against this backdrop, the Gallery’s new competition signals both ambition and risk. While the Sainsbury Wing renovation largely reconfigured an existing structure, Project Domani will introduce a wholly new wing to one of London’s most visited areas. The challenge for the selected architect will be to balance innovation with sensitivity to the National Gallery’s 19th-century William Wilkins building, its layered architectural history, and its prominent urban setting on Trafalgar Square.
According to the Gallery, the new wing will prioritize architectural distinction and sustainability. The expansion is expected to create space for new displays, educational programming, and international partnerships.
Funding for the $508 million (£375 million) project has already been secured through a combination of record-setting private donations and institutional support, including $203 million (£150 million) each from Crankstart and the Julia Rausing Trust. With its scope and funding in place, Project Domani represents an architectural commission of rare significance, not only for the National Gallery but also for London at large.
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