The building is scheduled to open in the early 2030s, write The Art Newspaper.
The firm was selected following an international competition, which attracted 65 architectural firms. The final list included six participants, including Selldorf Architects, who previously worked on the Sainsbury Wing renovation.
Gallery director Gabriele Finaldi said Kengo Kuma’s approach is “refined, sensitive to context, and masterful use of light and materials.” British firms Building Design Partnership and MICA Architects will also be involved in the project.
The new building will be built on the site of St Vincent House, which is scheduled to be demolished. The facade will be clad in light Portland stone.
View from the roof. Visualization: Kengo Kuma and Associates
The ground floor will house public spaces and temporary exhibition halls with a separate entrance, allowing the gallery to operate longer than the main exhibition. The upper floors will house the permanent collection, which will be connected by walkways to the gallery's existing buildings, including the Sainsbury Wing and the Wilkins Building. The gallery will exhibit works from the late 19th century to the present day.
The total area for permanent exhibitions will increase by around 1,500 sq m (over 15%). The space for temporary exhibitions will be around 800 sq m – almost double the size of the current underground Sainsbury Wing gallery.
Visualization: Kengo Kuma and Associates
The roof will feature an outdoor garden overlooking Leicester Square. Each level of the building will have its own architectural atmosphere, from more classical forms with arches on the lower floors to geometric solutions on the upper floors.
The new building will be part of a massive gallery modernization program called Domani, with a total budget of $1 billion.
As a reminder, Kengo Kuma and Associates won in an international competition for a new library project in Rzeszów, a city in southeastern Poland, near the border with Ukraine.
See also:
Archimatika's business center project won first place at the REM Awards 2026
In Kyiv, plans are underway to renovate the area near the Bessarabsky Market