'New wing' for the National Portrait Gallery
November 29 2022
Picture: The Guardian
The National Portrait Gallery in London has been given a generous and significant £10m donation by the Blavatnik Foundation. The news stories said this will mean a 'new wing', called the Blavatnik Wing, to open with the rest of the newly refurbished Gallery in 2023. But as far as I can see it means the existing first floor will be renamed 'The Blavatnik Wing'. But if renaming galleries is what we need to do to get these kinds of mega donations, so be it.
I was interested to see in The Guardian that they have what they say is a photograph (above) of the new first floor galleries - and happily it looks not too dissimilar to how it used to look. Phew! Just a little less of the 1970s brown...
The other development announced by the NPG was the acquisition of a patch of land outside the new entrance, which they will use as a ticket booth. I hope that works (will most people still expect to buy their tickets inside?), for it'll mean more space inside for art and visitor circulation.
