The National Gallery has shortlisted six architects to design a new wing on London’s Trafalgar Square.
The gallery received 65 submissions from an international architectural competition. The six firms still it the running are: Farshid Moussavi Architecture + Piercy & Company (both UK); Foster + Partners (UK); Kengo Kuma and Associates (Japan) + BDP (UK); Renzo Piano Building Workshop (Italy) + Adamson Associates (UK); Selldorf Architects (USA) + Purcell (UK); Studio Seilern Architects (UK).
These shortlisted firms will now take part in a design competition, with the final architect and wider technical design team being appointed by April 2026.
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The gallery has raised half of the £750m it needs to finance the project. The scheme, known as Project Domani, is the venue’s largest transformation since its foundation 200 years ago.
The gallery’s wing will be built on the site of the last remaining part of the National Gallery’s current campus – St Vincent House. The property was acquired nearly 30 years ago for the purpose of expanding gallery space. It currently houses a hotel and office complex.
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Project Domani also includes the gallery's move to extend its historic collection beyond 1900.
“Project Domani is a £750m campaign that will redefine the National Gallery for the next century.” said National Gallery director Gabriele Finaldi.
“Thanks to the remarkable support we have already received, we are building momentum towards our vision of creating new spaces to house an expanded collection, building an acquisitions fund for modern paintings, while also ensuring the gallery’s long-term financial sustainability through a robust endowment.
“The National Gallery was formed to make great art accessible to all. With this new physical and artistic expansion, and with the invaluable help of our donors, we are reaffirming our commitment to the public.
"We want to broaden our engagement with local, national and international visitors through enhanced displays, exhibitions, research, public programmes and educational initiatives.”
The gallery has already secured £375m for the project, with £150m coming from Crankstart, the charitable foundation of Michael Moritz and his wife Harriet Heyman, and another £150m from the Julia Rausing Trust.
The National Gallery was founded in 1824, the houses the nation’s collection of paintings in the Western European tradition from the late 13th to the early 20th century. The collection includes works by Artemisia Gentileschi, Bellini, Cezanne, Degas, Leonardo, Monet, Raphael, Rembrandt, Renoir, Rubens, Titian, Turner, Van Dyck, Van Gogh and Velázquez.
