London gallery to undergo biggest transformation in its 200-year history, with Kengo Kuma’s design called ‘exemplary’
The National Gallery has announced that its largest and most significant transformation in its 200-year history will be designed by the Japanese architect behind Tokyo’s Olympic stadium.
The new wing will be designed by Kengo Kuma as part of Project Domani, the gallery’s expansion into art from the 20th and 21st centuries. Its completion will make the National Gallery the only museum in the world that exclusively displays paintings where visitors will be able to view the entire history of painting in the western tradition.
The gallery has traditionally not collected many paintings made after 1900 because of an agreement with Tate, which in turn collects only modern art. Industry insiders previously said tearing up the agreement could create “bad blood” and a situation in which the two galleries are “at each other’s throats”.
The National Gallery launched an international architectural competition for its new wing and said a total of 65 submissions were received, with six architects shortlisted to take part in a design competition.
