London’s National Gallery has chosen New York-based architect Annabelle Selldorf as the lead on its massive five-year restoration project.
Selldorf Architect was chosen from a shortlist of six firms, the other five of which were based in London. Its recent projects include the current restoration of New York’s Frick Collection, the expansion of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, and the renovation of Luma Arles in the South of France.
The upgrade, which the National Gallery announced in February, is expected to cost between $35 million and $43 million. The restoration project will include the restoration of the 1991 Sainsbury Wing lobby, the creation of a new research center at the bottom of the 1838 Wilkins building, and the improvement of the outdoor area bordering Trafalgar Square. Construction will likely begin late next year and is to take place in phases, with the first phase scheduled for completion in May 2024, in time for the museum’s bicentenary celebration, and the final phase sometime in 2026.
Finaldi is determined to press ahead with the project, which has been dubbed NG200: “It will take time for visitor numbers to return to 2019 levels, but there is optimism on the horizon, and arts and culture will be crucial in the healing of our country,” he says.
