The National Portrait Gallery in London is reopening tomorrow (22 June) after the most extensive refurbishment of its building since 1896.
“We can’t wait to welcome you back after the biggest transformation since our building opened in 1896,” said Nicholas Cullinan, director of the National Portrait Gallery.
The redevelopment project included a complete redisplay of the collection in refurbished galleries, a significant restoration of the building, the creation of new public spaces, a more welcoming visitor entrance and public forecourt, and a new learning centre.
The project has increased public space by around a fifth, with office space converted into new galleries in the Weston Wing, formerly the museum’s East Wing.
New doors by Tracey Emin
In refreshed and renewed galleries, more than 1,100 portraits are on display, an increase of over a third from pre-closure.
Led by Jamie Fobert Architects alongside heritage architects Purcell, the building has been completely refurbished, with many historic features restored and hidden areas revealed.
“No longer awkward or overlooked, the National Portrait Gallery can now stand confidently facing the city: the great historic building Londoners never knew they had,” said Jamie Fobert, project architect.
In order to complete the major transformation, the gallery in St Martin’s Place closed to the public in March 2020.
The project was made possible by major grants from the Blavatnik Family Foundation, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Garfield Weston Foundation and the Ross Foundation.
“The project will make portraiture accessible to many who might not have previously thought it was for them,” said David Ross, chair of the gallery’s board of trustees.
“It has been a mammoth job and I hope all our visitors admire this historic transformation as much as we do.”
Artist Tracey Emin has created a work for the institution’s new doors featuring 45 portraits of women. Hand drawn by Emin and cast in bronze, the artwork, titled The Doors, celebrates women from different walks of life.
Complete collection redisplay
“Women in history are greatly underrepresented,” said Emin.
“I didn’t want to depict specific or identifiable figures. I felt like the doors of the National Portrait Gallery should represent every woman, every age and every culture throughout time.”
Cullinan said Emin’s artwork was commissioned to “balance the [National Portrait Gallery’s] imposing façade with its roundels of 18 men from British history“.
Lead image credit: Olivier Hess
