London, Sainsbury Wing reopens at National Gallery after two years, with new entrance

At the National Gallery in London , after a two-year closure, the SainsburyWing (Sainsbury Wing), which will also be the museum’s new main entrance, reopens. The opening is set for today, Saturday, May 10, 2025, as part of the Gallery’s 200th anniversary celebrations.

The Sainsbury Wing was closed in February 2023 to undergo delicate work on the exterior façade, atrium, and second floor to provide a better and more welcoming experience for the National Gallery’s millions of visitors, as part of a project developed by New York-based Selldorf Architects, in collaboration with Purcell Architects.

At the entrance, part of the Gallery space has been dedicated to public space, with the creation of a “plaza within a plaza” leading to a more spacious entrance. The original dark stained-glass windows on the stairs leading to the Gallery spaces have been replaced by transparent windows, which illuminate the atrium with natural light while revealing discreet glimpses of the National Gallery building, designed by William Wilkins (1778-1839) in the 1830s. The stained glass windows also allow visitors to Trafalgar Square to see the interior of the Gallery directly for the first time.

This entrance opens onto a new double-height foyer that is wider, more open and brighter. A 12-foot-wide 16K screen will show striking details of National Gallery paintings. Visitors will find a new espresso bar, “Bar Giorgio,” by Giorgio Locatelli, on the ground floor. “Locatelli,” the chef’s own restaurant, will rise on the mezzanine level, along with a new bookstore and meeting and event spaces. A bar will provide the only public space in London, to date, to sip a drink overlooking Trafalgar Square. In front of the tables where restaurant patrons will settle has been placed The Crivelli Garden (1990-1991) by Paula Rego (1935-2022). Rego drew inspiration from Renaissance paintings by Carlo Crivelli (c. 1430/5 - c. 1494) to create her work for the dining room of the Sainsbury wing, which opened in 1991.

The newly renamed Piggot Theatre in the basement also reopens. The theater has been completely renovated with a new color palette and repurposed to provide greater comfort and accessibility, including level stage access. Materials used in the new spaces include the same gray Florentine serene stone used in the Venturi-Scott Brown-designed exhibition spaces, along with Chamesson limestone from northern Burgundy, slate, oak, and black granite. Where possible, existing materials were reused, recycled or repurposed in other building projects.

The NG200 Welcome project was made possible through the support of numerous generous donations from both major benefactors and the public. In particular, the Linbury Trust and the Headley Trust, which together with the Monument Trust funded the founding of the Sainsbury Wing 35 years ago, have been instrumental in the Gallery’s evolution of the building in line with the changing needs of visitors.

Timothy Sainsbury, former British Minister for Culture under whose tenure the wing was opened, said, “The refurbished ground floor and mezzanine now offer a much larger and more welcoming entrance for the millions of visitors expected each year; a fitting introduction to the Gallery’s magnificent spaces, which have remained unchanged. The Headley Trust and the Linbury Trust welcome the redesign and look forward to continuing to support the Sainsbury Wing in its next 35 years and beyond.”

Gabriele Finaldi, Director of the National Gallery, said, “As of May 10, the Sainsbury Wing will be the main entrance to the National Gallery. With the reimagining of the exterior and interior spaces by architect Annabelle Selldorf, millions of visitors will be welcomed into reconfigured and expertly refurbished spaces, double-height and intensely lit, and on their way to explore the Gallery’s superb collection of paintings from Giotto to Monet.”

“We are honored,” said Annabelle Selldorf, "to have helped make the Sainsbury Wing more welcoming and accessible, and we look forward to a bright and fluid new experience for visitors to discover the National Gallery’s magnificent collection and all it has to offer."

Arts Minister Chris Bryant said, “The National Gallery is one of the most beloved members of our national museum family. It is a pleasure to see a member of the family renew itself, and this one is no exception. The new entrance will offer the best reception imaginable. And after seeing some of the renovations, I’m sure everyone will be amazed. I am especially grateful to the donors who have so generously supported this project, allowing the Gallery to reinvent its space, reinterpret its collection and open its doors to all communities.”

London, Sainsbury Wing reopens at National Gallery after two years, with new entrance

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