National Gallery Announces Major Transformation with Kengo Kuma
The National Gallery in London has revealed plans for its most extensive transformation since its establishment 200 years ago. The new wing will be designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, renowned for his work on Tokyo’s Olympic stadium.
This expansion, named Project Domani, will focus on incorporating art from the 20th and 21st centuries. Upon completion, the National Gallery will become the only museum worldwide dedicated exclusively to paintings, allowing visitors to experience the entire history of Western painting.
Historical Context and Institutional Collaboration
Historically, the National Gallery has collected few paintings created after 1900 due to an agreement with Tate, which specializes in modern art. Industry insiders have previously described the relationship between the two institutions as strained, with tensions described as being “at each other’s throats.”
Architectural Competition and Selection Process
The National Gallery initiated an international architectural competition for the new wing, receiving 65 submissions. From these, six architects were shortlisted to participate in the design competition.
The jury panel awarded the highest score to the design submitted by Kengo Kuma and Associates, in collaboration with BDP and MICA, describing it as “exemplary.” This design prevailed over proposals from prominent architects including Norman Foster, Renzo Piano, Farshid Moussavi, and Annabelle Selldorf.
John Booth, the National Gallery’s chair of trustees and jury chair, stated: "Kuma had created a beautiful design inside and out, sensitive to our existing Grade I exteriors and distinctive gallery spaces." He added that the new building would "help to unite two of London’s most important outdoor spaces – Leicester and Trafalgar Squares —- by creating enticing new public realm between them."
Kengo Kuma, aged 71, is also known for designing the V&A Dundee, which opened in 2018. One of his designs attracted controversy when his proposal for a new porch on a 1,000-year-old cathedral in western France was criticized as a “wart.” The €5.5 million construction in Angers is scheduled to open on Thursday.
Site and Funding Details
The new wing will be constructed on a site acquired by the National Gallery 30 years ago, currently occupied by a hotel and office complex.
This development is part of a £750 million campaign that the gallery states will “redefine” the institution for the coming century.
To date, the gallery has raised £375 million for Project Domani, including the two largest publicly reported cash donations ever made to a museum or gallery globally.
Crankstart, the charitable foundation of Michael Moritz and Harriet Heyman, pledged £150 million, matched by a £150 million pledge from the Julia Rausing Trust. An additional £75 million has been contributed by the National Gallery Trust, John Booth, and other anonymous donors.
The funds will be allocated to acquiring post-1900 artworks and establishing an endowment fund. However, there are concerns within the institution about potential job losses, fewer exhibitions, increased ticket prices, and reduced international loans of artworks.
Historical Precedents and Jury Remarks
In 1982, the National Gallery’s original design choice for what is now the Sainsbury Wing was abandoned after Prince Charles criticized it as “a monstrous carbuncle on the face of a much loved and elegant friend.”
In contrast, the jury praised Kuma’s new wing design on Tuesday:
“The design is both innovative and beautiful, meeting the ambition and sensitivity required for an international gallery commission. It is respectful of the Sainsbury Wing galleries … and the approach to the public realm and roof garden creates a generous presence, enhanced by trees and greenery.”
