The National Gallery launches Project Domani, a £375m plan to transform its future with record donations, new architecture, and expanded public access.
The National Gallery has secured £375 million to launch the most ambitious redevelopment in its 200-year history.
Project Domani, as it is known, will reshape the Gallery and its place in London’s cultural life, while positioning Britain firmly in the global museum landscape.
The plan is not simply about more space. It is about how one of the world’s most important art collections can be presented and understood by audiences today.
The funding includes two record-breaking single cash donations to any museum or gallery worldwide, underlining the scale of support behind the vision.
An International Architectural Competition
An architectural competition, announced on 10 September, marks the third stage of the masterplan, first commissioned in 2018.
The Gallery wants to draw both established practices and younger talent into the process, seeking new ideas for how art should be experienced in the 21st century.
The new wing will be built on the site of St Vincent House, the final property within the Gallery’s campus. Acquired almost thirty years ago for the purpose of future expansion, it currently holds a hotel and office block that will be cleared to make way for the project.
Sir Gabriele Finaldi, Director of the National Gallery, set out the ambition: “With the Bicentenary celebrations now completed, the NG looks to the future. We want to be the place where the UK public and visitors from across the globe can enjoy the finest painting collection in the world from medieval times to our own, in a superb architectural setting. We are hugely excited by these developments and are immensely grateful to our donors for their support – on an unprecedented scale – as the National Gallery steps into its third century. We look forward to an ever-closer collaboration with Tate on this significant new initiative.”
Revitalising the Heart of London
The project is expected to transform the link between Leicester Square and Trafalgar Square.
The Gallery has described its goal as creating “a vibrant, fresh experience for visitors.” The redevelopment will bring in the latest techniques in design and sustainability, aiming to set an example as much as to serve its immediate purpose.
Alongside architecture, the programme will expand exhibitions, research, public events, and education. The Gallery has stressed accessibility, a principle that has shaped it since its founding, and which remains central to this next phase.
Philanthropy on an Unprecedented Scale
The £375 million raised so far is split between three principal contributions. Crankstart, the charitable foundation set up by Sir Michael Moritz KBE and Harriet Heyman, has pledged £150 million.
The Julia Rausing Trust has pledged the same amount, given in memory of Julia Rausing.
Sir Hans Rausing explained the gift: “My beloved wife Julia was a passionate supporter of the National Gallery and its role in making great art accessible to all. She would have wholeheartedly embraced the vision and ambition behind this project, recognising its potential to transform the understanding and appreciation of art, and to reinforce the Gallery’s role on the world stage. This gift is given in her memory, so that others may discover the same beauty and inspiration in art that meant so much to her.”
The remaining £75 million comes from the National Gallery Trust, chairman John Booth, and other donors who have chosen to remain unnamed.
Booth spoke of the impact: “We are humbled by the generosity and vision of Crankstart, the Julia Rausing Trust and all the other donors who are supporting the National Gallery at this pivotal moment in its history. Their investment will inspire, educate and thrill generations to come, enriching the cultural landscape of our nation.”
Government Endorsement
The project has full government backing. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: “I’ve been clear that we want the arts to be accessible for everyone and that philanthropy is crucial to that mission.
The new wing at the National Gallery will open up world-class art for millions of people from home and abroad. I want to thank the generous donors who will help to transform the National Gallery, cementing its position as one of the most loved and visited institutions that will inspire people for generations.”
Her words place Project Domani within broader cultural policy, linking it to the role of museums in accessibility and national identity.
Expanding the Collection Story
The Gallery’s holdings cover European painting from the 13th century onwards, but Project Domani is also about the way stories are told through art.
Its leadership has spoken of the collection as a continuum – one that reflects how artists have responded to religion, politics, society, and artistic tradition across centuries.
The expansion will allow these narratives to unfold with greater depth. It will also encourage a closer partnership with Tate, with both institutions serving as custodians of the national collection.
Recent trustee meetings have created new frameworks for working together while respecting the different missions of each.
Maria Balshaw, Director of Tate, said: “Tate congratulates the National Gallery on the announcement of this transformational gift. As the UK’s national collection of British art from 1500 and international art from 1900, Tate looks forward to working closely with colleagues at the National Gallery on loans, curatorial and conservational expertise to support the development of their new displays. The Trustees of both institutions recently held a joint meeting and, together, established a Working Group with Trustee and Curatorial representatives from each to determine the ways in which we can collaborate to further the national collection as a whole.”
A Place for Comprehensive Art History
The National Gallery aims to become the one institution where visitors can trace the entire arc of Western painting. This requires both space and a new approach to presentation.
The Gallery sees the architecture itself as part of that experience, with the setting enhancing the drama and beauty of the works.
This ambition will expand the range of art on display and respond to growing public interest in diverse artistic voices.
Competing on the Global Stage
Major museums worldwide continue to build and expand. Project Domani is the National Gallery’s answer to that challenge, a bid to keep London at the forefront of international cultural tourism and scholarship.
Its scope runs beyond exhibitions to research, conservation, and education, ensuring the Gallery operates as both a display space and a centre of knowledge.
Architecture and Sustainability
The design competition is expected to deliver more than aesthetic appeal. Modern museum buildings must manage light, climate, security, and accessibility while creating spaces that visitors actually enjoy.
Sustainability is central, with the Gallery clear that it must meet 21st-century environmental standards as it meets its cultural ones.
By inviting both well-known firms and rising names, the competition is open to a wide set of ideas. The Gallery has made clear it wants fresh approaches as well as proven expertise.
A Defining Project for the Future
Project Domani will mark the Gallery’s entry into its third century with a fundamental shift. Its impact will be felt beyond Trafalgar Square, offering a model for other institutions and showing how tradition and innovation can be balanced.
The partnership with Tate, the weight of philanthropy, and the focus on public accessibility point to a redefinition of what the Gallery can be.
As the project develops, it will stand as a test of how a major cultural institution evolves in an era of intense global competition.
The unprecedented scale of support behind it shows continuing belief in the role of great art to inspire and educate. Project Domani is both a statement of intent and a reminder that the National Gallery remains central to cultural life in Britain and beyond.
*Image credit: © The National Gallery, London
