National Gallery to build a new wing on Trafalgar Square site

National Gallery to build a new wing on Trafalgar Square site

London’s esteemed National Gallery has recently unveiled plans for expansion, buoyed by an impressive £375m in donations from private backers. This financial injection includes what the gallery refers to as “the two largest ever publicly reported single cash donations to a museum or gallery globally.” The institution has taken the bold step of launching an international architectural competition to conceive a new wing that promises to enhance its existing collection. Situated on the final available portion of its current site, the new addition is envisioned to rejuvenate the area between Leicester Square and Trafalgar Square, offering a renewed experience for its patrons.

Among the generous contributors to the gallery’s expansion project, notable names such as Crankstart, the charitable foundation led by Sir Michael Moritz and Harriet Heyman, and the Julia Rausing Trust have each pledged £150m. Sir Hans Rausing, founder trustee of the latter, expressed his late wife’s enduring passion for the National Gallery and its mission to democratize access to great art. The substantial donation in Julia’s memory is intended to ignite a renaissance in art appreciation and fortify the gallery’s standing on the global stage.

A further £75m has been committed by the National Gallery Trust, alongside contributions from the institution’s chairman of trustees, John Booth, and other anonymous benefactors. This financial support not only facilitates the expansion of the gallery’s treasured collection but also signals a new era of collaboration with institutions like Tate, both in the UK and internationally. Established by Parliament in 1824, the National Gallery is renowned for its unparalleled collection of Western European paintings spanning from the late 13th to the early 20th century, featuring masterpieces by luminaries such as Cezanne, Da Vinci, Monet, and Van Gogh. Director Sir Gabriele Finaldi expressed profound gratitude towards the generous donors for their unprecedented backing, as the National Gallery embarks on its third century, poised to evolve into a beacon for art enthusiasts worldwide

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