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The Gallery is delighted to announce a very generous gift from Mark Getty and the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation. The gift will support the first phase of the renewal of the East Wing.
The existing East Door will be opened up to form a new public entrance from Trafalgar Square to the ground floor of the Gallery. It will lead into a new atrium and reception space, with an enlarged café, shop and other facilities. The new entrance will be named in honour one of the Gallery's greatest benefactors, Sir Paul Getty.
The National Gallery warmly welcomes the implementation this year of the World Squares for All plan to free the north side of Trafalgar Square from traffic, transforming it into an area dedicated to pedestrians, including the 5 million who visit the Gallery annually.
The aims of the renewal work are to:
- Open up more entrances from the street to the ground floor of the Main Building, offering level access, and improving the relationship of the building to Trafalgar Square
- Improve the reception spaces, relocate the Information Desks and expand the cloakroom facilities
- Convert more of the ground floor to public space, improve links to the main gallery floor and expand and improve the shop and café.
At a later stage the Gallery will incorporate the St Martin's Wing (exchanged by the National Portrait Gallery for building space for their new wing) to provide more appropriate space for 18th- and 19th-century pictures
In 1985 Sir Paul Getty made a gift amounting to £50 million to the American Friends of the National Gallery London, Inc. - a charitable foundation which maintains an endowment fund to support the National Gallery.
For further information please contact:
Tel: 020 7747 2865 (Press Enquiries)
General Information Number for Public Enquiries Tel: 020 7747 2885
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