'If you have found this note you must be engaged in demolishing one of the false columns that have been placed in the foyer of the Sainsbury Wing of the National Gallery. I believe that the false columns are a mistake of the architect and that we would live to regret our accepting this detail of his design. Let it be known that one of the donors of this building is absolutely delighted that your generation has decided to dispense with the unnecessary columns.'
The letter, from 1990, finds Sainsbury criticising the architects, Robert Venturi and Denise Scott-Brown, for placing two decorative false columns in the middle of the gallery's foyer despite his objections. The perfectly succinct letter, on Sainsbury's supermarket letterhead, highlights a rare historical glimpse into the past frustrations concerning the architectural design.
As The Art Newspaper reports, the architects seemingly had no idea about the secret letter, because Sainsbury wandered into the space during construction and just popped the letter in the column without anyone else being made aware. This incident serves as a fascinating anecdote about the decision-making processes involved in the gallery's construction and the importance of stakeholder opinions in architectural design.
The National Gallery is still open, despite all the demolition, and has a free exhibition of Hockney and Piero Della Francesca. This juxtaposition of contemporary exhibitions with historical context reflects the ongoing evolution of art and architecture in cultural institutions.
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