Kengo Kuma to Design £350m National Gallery Extension in London

Kengo Kuma and Associates, a Tokyo-based firm, has been selected to design a £350m extension for London's National Gallery, set to open in the early 2030s. The project, part of the broader £750m Domani initiative, will be constructed on the site of St Vincent House, north of the Sainsbury Wing, using light-coloured Portland stone. The extension will add 1,500 sq m to the permanent collection, focusing on works from the late 19th century to the present, and include an 800 sq m ground-floor gallery for temporary exhibitions, nearly doubling previous space. Kuma's design features varied atmospheres per floor, with a public roof garden offering views of Leicester Square. The selection followed a competition launched in September, with six shortlisted firms including Selldorf Architects. National Gallery director Gabriele Finaldi praised Kuma's sensitivity to history and materials. Building Design Partnership (BDP) and MICA will collaborate on the project. Kuma expressed humility in expanding the gallery's collection, which he called a treasure of humanity. The Domani project aims to address financial deficits, with the gallery implementing cost-cutting measures to tackle an £8.2m deficit by 2026-27.