The National Gallery in London is set to unveil its newly renovated Sainsbury Wing this Saturday, marking a significant milestone in the institution’s 200th anniversary celebrations. The wing, which has been closed since February 2023, has undergone extensive renovations to enhance visitor experience and accessibility.
Transformation of a Cultural Landmark
The Sainsbury Wing, which will now serve as the main entrance to the National Gallery, has received sensitive interventions to its external façade, foyer, and first floor. The renovation project, designed by New York-based Selldorf Architects in collaboration with heritage architects Purcell, aims to provide a more welcoming first experience for the millions of visitors to this world-renowned institution.
One of the most notable changes is the creation of a “square-within-a-square” at the entrance, where part of the Gallery’s footprint has been given over to public realm. The original dark glass of the stairs leading to the gallery spaces has been replaced with clear glazing, allowing natural daylight to flood the foyer while revealing subtle views of the 1830s National Gallery building designed by William Wilkins. Perhaps most significantly, the new glazing allows people in Trafalgar Square to see directly into the Gallery for the first time.
Enhanced Visitor Amenities
Visitors will enter through a new double-height foyer that is larger, more open, and brightly lit than before. A twelve-meter wide, 16K screen will showcase stunning details of the Gallery’s paintings. The ground floor features a new espresso bar, Bar Giorgio, by renowned chef Giorgio Locatelli, while the restaurant by the same chef will be located on the mezzanine level alongside a new bookshop and spaces for meetings and events.
The renovated wing will also feature what is described as “the to-date only publicly accessible space in London to enjoy a drink with views onto Trafalgar Square” — a bar on the mezzanine level facing Trafalgar Square.
Restaurant diners will be able to enjoy Paula Rego’s “Crivelli’s Garden” (1990-91). Rego, who was the National Gallery’s first Associate Artist, created this work after being inspired by Renaissance paintings by Carlo Crivelli for the Sainsbury Wing Dining Room when it originally opened in 1991.
Commitment to Heritage and Sustainability
The renovation has maintained a connection to the building’s original design through the use of high-quality materials, including the same grey Florentine limestone (pietra serena) employed in the Venturi-Scott Brown designed gallery spaces. Additional materials include Chamesson limestone from northern Burgundy, slate, oak, and black granite. The project has emphasized sustainability, with existing materials being re-used, recycled, or repurposed in other building projects wherever possible.
The Piggot Theatre on the lower ground floor has also been fully refurbished with a new color scheme and improved comfort and accessibility features, including level access to the stage.
Support and Leadership
The NG200 Welcome project has been made possible through generous donations from both major benefactors and members of the public. The Linbury Trust and The Headley Trust, which together with The Monument Trust funded the original establishment of the Sainsbury Wing 35 years ago, have been instrumental in helping the Gallery adapt the building for changing visitor needs.
Sir Timothy Sainsbury expressed his approval of the redesign, stating: “The remodelled ground floor and mezzanine floor now provide a much larger and more welcoming entrance for the millions of visitors expected every year; a fitting introduction to the magnificent gallery spaces which remain unchanged.”
Sir Gabriele Finaldi, Director of the National Gallery, emphasized that millions of visitors will be welcomed into “newly configured and subtly refurbished spaces, double height and brightly lit, and en route to exploring the Gallery’s superb painting collection from Giotto to Monet.”
Architect Annabelle Selldorf said her firm was “honoured to have contributed to making the Sainsbury Wing more welcoming and accessible” and looked forward to visitors enjoying “a new light filled and seamless experience.”
The National Gallery’s Sainsbury Wing will reopen to the public on Saturday, May 10, 2025, as the main entrance to one of the world’s greatest art collections, housing works by masters such as Bellini, Cezanne, Degas, Leonardo, Monet, Raphael, Rembrandt, and Van Gogh.
We have been provided a gallery of pictures of the ‘new’ wing – credits indicated on the photos, these are used with permission.
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