The National Gallery East Wing
The National Gallery - East Wing
Our work on the refurbishment of the East Wing of the National Gallery was the first stage in the implementation of a grand masterplan that will transform facilities and circulation at one of the UK’s most visited tourist attractions.
Following the pedestrianisation of Trafalgar Square in the early 2000s, the Gallery began a masterplan to convert the vacated office space on the ground floor into public space. The first phase was the £21m East Wing project, led by architects Dixon Jones and completed in 2004. This provided a new ground level entrance from Trafalgar Square, named in honour of Sir Paul Getty. The main entrance was also refurbished and reopened in September 2005.
As a Grade I listed building with a complex history, there were considerable historic building implications, as well as engineering challenges. Our Conservation Strategy guided the development of the East Wing by Dixon Jones, and the detailed understanding we developed of the history and evolution of the structure enabled our engineers to design bold structural solutions to create generous new spaces. The greatest of these challenges was the removal of walls supporting the main cupola above the entrance portico in order to enlarge the entrance vestibule.
The project went on to win a RIBA award for conservation.
Client: National Gallery
Architect: Dixon Jones