London's cultural landscape has been revitalised as the illustrious National Portrait Gallery reopens its doors on the 22nd of June after an extensive three-year refurbishment. The iconic institution, which has been an integral part of British heritage since its establishment in 1856, has undergone a refreshing transformation. With a staggering £41.3 million invested in the project, the National Portrait Gallery now stands as a shining beacon, ready to welcome visitors into a world of artistic brilliance and historical splendour. With the artistic direction of Jamie Fobert Architects and heritage specialists Purcell, new galleries have been opened up, learning spaces and restaurants added, and a public forecourt created.
From the project architect, Jamie Fobert's point of view, "The project was primarily driven by the desire for the gallery to turn to face the city, to open up to the public in a way the original building did not, to bring back to life the gallery spaces, and to focus attention on the handsome Victorian architecture, which had been obscured." For many, The National Portrait Gallery has always felt like an 'afterthought' tucked around the back of the star attraction the National Gallery but with the renovations that have taken place, the National Portrait Gallery now takes centre stage. The gallery, was built initially with its front entrance looking like its back, with the architect Ewan Christian moving it as far around the corner as possible to face the St Martin-in-the-Fields church instead of the not so pleasant, insalubrious streets of Soho. "It's the great building Londoners never knew they had," says Fobert. "Our job was to open it up, tie its different eras together, and give it a new public face."
The team's reconfigurations have created an 18% increase in public space through the introduction of a new entrance and the opening of previously concealed areas and as part of the renovation, the National Portrait Gallery's collection has also been re-hung to guide visitors from artwork from the Tudor period to the present. Some of the new acquisitions of the portrait gallery include, Joshua Reynolds 'Portrait of Mai (Omai) as well as Yvonne: Life and Colour, which explores the life and career of Yvonne, the pioneering London photographer who spearheaded the use of colour photography in the 1930's. The museum's transformation goes beyond its physical structure, Its reopening marks the start of a fresh era, as it unveils an extraordinary array of portraiture, its collection comprises about 12,400 portraits, including paintings, sculpture, miniatures, drawings, prints and photographs curated to captivate and inspire visitors of all ages and with this, a new logo has also been created by illustrator Peter Horridge based on a sketch by the gallery's first director George Scharf's sketch from 1893.
The pavement of the entrance has been levelled up so there is no need for an awkward side ramp isolated from a set of stairs, with easy access, you can walk right in through the 3 large carved bronze portals encompassed with award-winning artist Tracy Emin's scribbled portraits of 45 women representing 'every woman, throughout time'. This is the most radical transformation in the institutions history whilst providing opportunity to address the gallery's historic gender imbalance and the re-hang in particular, featuring 48% women in the 20th and 21st century galleries, compared with the previous 35% reverberating as a resolute stride toward fostering gender equality within the art world. The redesigned spaces now offer improved accessibility features, making it easier for individuals with disabilities or mobility challenges to explore and enjoy the artworks on display. Through initiatives such as audio guides, tactile displays, and braille resources, the gallery has embraced inclusivity, enabling visitors of all abilities to fully participate in the cultural experience.
Breathing new life into the once dreary and outmoded foyer area, there is now, art on view as soon as you arrive, blocked windows have been ripped open bringing in bursts of daylight that help to prevent gallery fatigue (made possible by sophisticated UV film on the glass), school groups will now enjoy three times more learning space from before with the former entrance and what used to be a lower-ground storage area being converted into the new learning space.
To celebrate the re-opening, an unforgettable affair, the red-carpet launch opening night on Tuesday took place. But prior to a wonderful evening, history was marked with the patron of the cultural landmark, the Princess of Wales Kate Middleton touring the venue and then bonding with Sir Paul McCartney over their love for photography in anticipation of the upcoming collection of The Beatles 1963-64 exhibition which will go on show on the 28th June. The preview was graced by the presence of global icons such as Malala Yousafzai, the renowned Pakistani education advocate and Nobel laureate, and British-Ghanian Ozwald Boateng.
The National Portrait Gallery opens to the public on the 22nd June, renewed and made more public, becoming more a part of the city and generous in its embrace, it presents a serious challenge to the National Gallery next door.
