A new tomorrow for the National Gallery
Following our 200th anniversary celebrations, we are announcing Project Domani, which will, in part, welcome a brand-new wing and public realm to the Gallery. This competition is expected to attract both long-established and exciting, younger architectural firms.
This will be the largest transformation since the Gallery’s formation in 1824.
To find a design team for this landmark project, on 10 September 2025, we are launching an architectural competition that will shape our future.
A new wing of the National Gallery and transformation of surrounding public areas
Our ambition is to create an architecturally distinguished, sustainable, and state-of-the-art new wing and public space. 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 new wing will be built on the last remaining part of the National Gallery 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.
The project aims to invigorate this corner of central London, connecting Trafalgar Square and Leicester Square. Embedding the Gallery as a cornerstone within London’s arts quarter, it will also cement our reputation as a leader in the art world and the UK’s commitment to culture and heritage.
Project Domani will also revitalise 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.
Developing the collection
The development of our collection is also a key aim of the project. At present, the Gallery is home to a world-renowned collection of great paintings, and it is our ambition to continue to develop and extend our collection.
For this, we require a new space that not only preserves and displays the artwork, but also elevates the visitor experience. By creating opportunities for unique programming, community engagement, national and international partnerships, this new chapter will redefine how art is experienced and celebrated. 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.
For the benefit of audiences everywhere, the National Gallery will be the one place in the world that presents the history of Western painting in a comprehensive and dynamic way, where the beauty and drama of extraordinary paintings is presented against the timeless and enduring backdrop of great architecture. The story of painting is a continuum – it reflects how artists and the societies in which they lived have responded to myth and religion, history and contemporary events, landscape and the human form, and to the tradition of art itself – and that is why it is necessary for the National Gallery to continue to evolve and extend the story it tells.
Competition launch
The purpose of this competition is to find exceptional architects to take on the extraordinary responsibility that designing this new wing will entail. The selection of an architectural team will take place in two stages:
Stage 1: An open call for expressions of interest from architects that believe they meet the criteria specified in the competition brief.
Stage 2: Up to six architects will be shortlisted and will be asked to expand on how they might approach this specific project.
The competition is now live. Submissions are required by 12 noon on Friday 17 October 2025.
Our supporters
To achieve our ambitions, the project has already attracted a groundbreaking £375m of cash pledges. This amount includes the two largest ever single cash donations to a museum or gallery globally.
£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.
A further £75 million is coming from the National Gallery Trust, National Gallery Chair of Trustees John Booth, plus other donors who wish to remain anonymous.
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 institutions around the world.