Group voices 鈥済rave concerns鈥� over controversial 拢30m proposals to remodel grade I-listed Sainsbury Wing
Campaign group the Twentieth Century Society has voiced its 鈥済rave concerns鈥� over controversial proposals to remodel the grade I-listed Sainsbury Wing of the National Gallery.
C20 said the 拢30m plans, by New York practice Selldorf Architects, will cause 鈥渟ubstantial and unjustifiable鈥� harm to the building which famously won Prince Charles鈥� approval after the heir to the throne described earlier proposals by ABK as a 鈥渃arbuncle鈥�.
Opened in 1991, the Sainsbury Wing is the only UK scheme designed by Venturi Scott Brown & Associates, the practice founded by Pritzker Prize winner and trailblazer of post-modernism Robert Venturi.
It has become the main entrance to the National Gallery for some six million visitors a year, a function it was never designed for and which has prompted the gallery to commission a rethink of the site.
A competition to mark the gallery鈥檚 bicentenary in 2024 was launched in February last year with a brief to 鈥渞econfigure the ground floor entrance and upgrade the visitor amenities鈥�.
Selldorf was , beating shortlist rivals David Chipperfield Architects, Caruso St John, Witherford Watson Mann, Asif Khan, Donald Insall, Publica and David Kohn Architects.
Detailed designs unveiled by Selldorf in May showed which will see part of the ceiling removed to allow in more natural light.
Other changes involve swapping out the facade鈥檚 dark glass with more transparent panes and creating a new library and reading room and archival store, while the Pigott Education Centre will also be redesigned and new seating, paving and trees added to the public realm area on Trafalger Sqaure.
The visuals quickly stirred up controvery, with Denise Scott Brown, one of the original architects, reported to have told former RIBA Journal editor Hugh Pearman that she wanted to see a 鈥渟torm of protest鈥� over the proposals.
C20 have now waded into the row, suggesting the plans are not in the spirit of the original design of a scheme it described as 鈥渁mongst the most historically and architecturally significant buildings in England constructed in the past 40 years鈥�.
Listing five key objections, the group said Selldorf鈥檚 plans to remove some of the lobby鈥檚 columns while reducing the size of others and cladding them in timber would lessen the lobby鈥檚 role as an 鈥渁nticipatory space鈥�.
It described the removal of part of the ceiling as an 鈥渋rreversible and far-reaching鈥� alteration which would result in the loss of a sense of 鈥渃ompression鈥� experienced when entering the building which is 鈥渞eleased鈥� when visitors enter the main staircase.
The proposals鈥� use of materials, including timber, was also said by C20 to show 鈥渓ittle regard鈥� for the building鈥檚 Italian Mannerism-influenced palette of pale stone and marble, while plans to remove a pair of Egyptian-style columns were criticised.
Finally, the group said the removal of internal walls and niches within the rotunda would be a 鈥渄irect interruption鈥� of the building鈥檚 original plan.
鈥淚t is hard to imagine any grade I-listed building of an earlier period - let alone that of a national institution - being subjected to such treatment, and we urge the architects to amend their plans accordingly,鈥� C20 said.
The group added that Selldorf had done a 鈥渃ommendable job鈥� in researching the building鈥檚 history and consulting with C20 throughout the design process, but that 鈥渁 number of design choices have been maintained that will involve substantial and unjustifiable harm to this grade I-listed asset鈥�.
Selldorf Architects鈥� team includes Purcell, Vogt Landscape, Arup, AEA Consulting, Pentagram, Kaizen, L鈥橭bservatoire and Kendrick Hobbs. The initial phase of works is expected to be complete by 2024.
Selldorf Architects have been contacted for comment.
What the National Gallery said
鈥漈he works we are proposing that make up the NG200 suite of capital projects aim to vastly improve the experience of the Gallery for our visitors now and in the future. Sensitive interventions to our building will reshape the National Gallery for its third century and address the need to create a more environmentally sustainable building, as well one which adapts to the needs of diverse audiences. The design team, alongside the Gallery, continue to have ongoing dialogue with a number of key stakeholders. In parallel we are also planning to transform our learning centre, allowing us to be far more ambitious with our educational offer and become the nation鈥檚 art classroom.鈥�
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