London’s National Gallery secures record £375M for modern art wing

London’s National Gallery has unveiled its most ambitious expansion in two centuries, securing £375 million in record-breaking donations to build a new wing that will house modern art for the first time in the institution’s history. The project, christened “Project Domani” (Italian for “tomorrow”), marks a seismic shift for the gallery as it prepares to extend its collection beyond 1900 and into the 20th and 21st centuries.museumsassociation

The funding includes two donations of £150 million each – the largest single cash gifts ever publicly reported to any museum or gallery worldwide. The Crankstart foundation, established by Silicon Valley venture capitalist Sir Michael Moritz and his wife Harriet Heyman, committed one donation, while the Julia Rausing Trust provided the other in memory of philanthropist Julia Rausing, who died in April 2024.civilsociety

Breaking New Ground with Modern Art

The new wing will be constructed on the site of St Vincent House, a 1960s building that currently houses a hotel and offices, which the National Gallery acquired nearly 30 years ago specifically for expansion purposes. The facility is expected to accommodate up to 250 paintings and will open in the early 2030s, according to reports from The Art Newspaper.theartnewspaper

This marks a fundamental departure for the National Gallery, which since its founding in 1824 has focused exclusively on Western European paintings from the 13th century to around 1900. Director Sir Gabriele Finaldi envisions the new collection spanning from later French Impressionists through Picasso and Matisse, Italian Futurists, German Expressionists, Surrealists, and American Abstract Expressionists, extending “up to near the present,” according to The Art Newspaper.arthistorynews

Historic Partnership with Tate

Central to the expansion is an unprecedented collaboration with the Tate museums, traditionally the custodians of British art from 1500 onwards and international art from 1900. The institutions have established a joint working group with trustee and curatorial representatives to coordinate acquisitions, loans, and conservation expertise.agenparl

“Tate looks forward to working closely with colleagues at the National Gallery on loans, curatorial and conservational expertise to support the development of their new displays,” said Maria Balshaw, Tate’s director. The partnership aims to present a more comprehensive narrative of Western painting while maintaining each institution’s distinct identity.abcnews

Architectural Competition Launches

An international architectural competition opened on September 10, managed by Colander, which recently helped the British Museum select an architect for its Western Range redesign. The competition will attract both established firms and emerging practices, with sustainability and state-of-the-art building techniques prioritized in the design brief.museumsassociation

The project is estimated to cost around £400 million total, with the remaining funding expected to be raised as architectural plans are finalized. Beyond the new wing, Project Domani will revitalize the area between Leicester Square and Trafalgar Square, cementing the National Gallery’s position in London’s cultural quarter.nationalgallery