The National Gallery has revealed its largest transformation since its formation 200 years ago after attracting £375m of cash pledges including the two largest ever publicly reported single cash donations to a museum or gallery globally.
As part of this exciting development, The Gallery is launching an international architectural competition for a brand-new wing to house an expanded collection. This competition is expected to attract both long established and exciting, younger architectural firms. This funding will also support the Gallery’s move to extend its historic collection and marks the beginning of an exciting new collaboration with Tate and other museums in the United Kingdom and around the world.
The National Gallery was formed to make great art accessible to all. With this new physical and artistic expansion, we are reaffirming our commitment to the public. We will broaden our engagement with local, national and international visitors through enhanced displays, exhibitions, research, public programmes and educational initiatives.
Project Domani will bolster the relevance of both the National Gallery and the UK within a highly competitive global cultural landscape.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said:
I’ve been clear that we want the arts to be accessible for everyone and that philanthropy is crucial to that mission. The new wing at the National Gallery will open up world class art for millions of people from home and abroad. I want to thank the generous donors who will help to transform the National Gallery, cementing its position as one of the most loved and visited institutions that will inspire people for generations.
A new wing of the National Gallery and transformation of surrounding public areas
The architectural competition (launching tomorrow Wednesday 10th September) is the third stage of an ambitious masterplan commissioned by the Gallery in 2018.
The National Gallery’s renowned collection of great paintings and our ambition to develop this further for the benefit of a larger, more diverse public, demands a space that not only preserves and displays the artwork, but also elevates the visitor experience, enhancing the Gallery’s status as one of the most visited museums in the world. 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, and currently houses a hotel and office complex.
Project Domani will also revitalize the area between Leicester Square and Trafalgar Square, creating a vibrant, fresh experience for visitors. The new wing will benefit from the dramatic advances made in building techniques and sustainability during recent decades. It will be a landmark of both local and international significance, enriching the nation’s artistic presence on a global scale.
Sir Gabriele Finaldi, Director, The National Gallery said
“With the Bicentenary celebrations now completed, the NG looks to the future. We want to be the place where the UK public and visitors from across the globe can enjoy the finest painting collection in the world from medieval times to our own, in a superb architectural setting. We are hugely excited by these developments and are immensely grateful to our donors for their support – on an unprecedented scale – as the National Gallery steps into its third century. We look forward to an ever-closer collaboration with Tate on this significant new initiative.”
Collection Development
The National Gallery holds what is widely regarded as the world’s finest collection of European painting, spanning from the early 13th century to the modern day. Following its 200th anniversary, the Gallery is entering a new chapter, committed to expanding and reshaping its collection for generations to come.
Painting has never been static. It carries forward stories of myth and religion, the sweep of history and contemporary events, the drama of landscape and the human figure — and the lineage of art itself. To tell this story fully, the Gallery must continue to grow and evolve, extending the narrative it presents.
For audiences across the globe, the National Gallery offers a singular experience: the history of Western painting in its breadth and intensity, staged within an architectural setting that amplifies the beauty and power of the works themselves.
This vision now broadens through collaboration. In a new partnership with Tate, the Gallery is working to extend the scope of the UK’s National Collection. Trustees of both institutions have begun shaping ways to share expertise and resources, ensuring the collection develops in new and ambitious directions.
Each museum will continue to tell its story in distinct yet complementary ways. Together, however, the National Gallery and Tate embark on a historic alliance — strengthening the National Collection as a world-leading resource, held in trust for the benefit of everyone.
Maria Balshaw, Director, Tate said:
“Tate congratulates the National Gallery on the announcement of this transformational gift. As the UK’s national collection of British art from 1500 and international art from 1900, Tate looks forward to working closely with colleagues at the National Gallery on loans, curatorial and conservational expertise to support the development of their new displays. The Trustees of both institutions recently held a joint meeting and, together, established a Working Group with Trustee and Curatorial representatives from each to determine the ways in which we can collaborate to further the national collection as a whole.”
Our Supporters
Project Domani is set to redefine the National Gallery £375 million has been pledged to date.
£150 million is coming from Crankstart, the charitable foundation of Sir Michael Moritz KBE and his wife, Harriet Heyman. £150 million is coming from the Julia Rausing Trust.
Sir Hans Rausing, Founder Trustee said
“My beloved wife Julia was a passionate supporter of the National Gallery and its role in making great art accessible to all. She would have wholeheartedly embraced the vision and ambition behind this project, recognising its potential to transform the understanding and appreciation of art, and to reinforce the Gallery’s role on the world stage. This gift is given in her memory, so that others may discover the same beauty and inspiration in art that meant so much to her.”
A further £75 million is coming from the National Gallery Trust, National Gallery Chairman of Trustees John Booth, plus other donors who wish to remain anonymous.
National Gallery Chairman of Trustees, John Booth, said
“We are humbled by the generosity and vision of Crankstart, the Julia Rausing Trust and all the other donors who are supporting the National Gallery at this pivotal moment in its history. Their investment will inspire, educate and thrill generations to come, enriching the cultural landscape of our nation.”
About
Crankstart is a family foundation devoted to providing wider access to better education, jobs with prospects for advancement, housing security, the protection of civil rights and access to the arts.
The Julia Rausing Trust was established in memory of the late British philanthropist Julia Rausing, (née Delves-Broughton), who died in 2024. With annual giving to UK charities in the region of £100million, it is one of the largest charitable trusts in the UK.
Julia Rausing co-founded The Julia and Hans Rausing Trust in 2014. She was widely known for her unwavering commitment to philanthropy and her impactful contributions to a wide range of UK charitable causes. She was instrumental in building the Julia and Hans Rausing Trust into one of the largest philanthropic funds in the country, donating some £400 million during her lifetime to causes across Health, Welfare, and the Arts, primarily within the UK. The Julia Rausing Trust is a registered charity (number 1213572). juliarausingtrust.org
The National Gallery Trust is an independent, registered charity founded in 1988 (number 299509). Its charitable objects are the advancement of education and the charitable objects of the National Gallery. The Trust has its own Board of Trustees.
MORE: @nationalgallery
