National Gallery to expand into a Brutalist block behind the Sainsbury Wing

"A brutalist concrete building behind the Sainsbury Wing was built in 1967-70 to a design by Charles Pike & Partners, and bought by the National Gallery about 30 years ago. At the moment, it's used partially as a hotel and office building, and the former car park in the basement is a storage space annexe for the National Gallery. National Gallery X (NGX) also uses St Vincent House as a centre for the activation and trial of the National Gallery's digital vision."

"The gallery has already attracted £375m of cash pledges towards the redevelopment, including the two largest ever publicly reported single cash donations to a museum or gallery globally. Of the total, £150 million is coming from Crankstart, the charitable foundation of Sir Michael Moritz KBE and his wife, Harriet Heyman while a matching £150 million is coming from the Julia Rausing Trust. A further £75 million is coming from the National Gallery Trust, National Gallery Chairman of Trustees John Booth, plus other donors who wish to remain anonymous."

"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"

The National Gallery plans to expand into St Vincent House, a brutalist concrete building behind the Sainsbury Wing built in 1967–70 and owned by the gallery for about 30 years. The building currently functions partly as a hotel and office block, with a former basement car park used as a storage annexe and NGX hosting digital activation and trials there. An open call to architects will invite proposals ranging from complete demolition to adaptive conversion into gallery space. The redevelopment has attracted £375m in pledges, including £150m from Crankstart, a matching £150m from the Julia Rausing Trust, and £75m from the National Gallery Trust and other donors.

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