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The National Gallery, London (Art Spaces)
The National Gallery London - Art Spaces Author:Kenneth Powell Scala's Art Spaces series continues with a fascinating account of the growth and development of London's most visited public institution: The National Gallery. Since it first opened its doors to the public in its new building in Trafalgar Square on 9th April 1838, it has grown slowly and incrementally with occasional spurts of more ambit... more »ious reshaping. Most famous was the great confrontation between modernists and post-modernists: the architectural competition announced by Michael Heseltine, Prince Charles blistering attack of the winning choice and the eventual construction of the Sainsbury wing. In September 2005, The National Gallery reopened the grand, triumphal portico that forms its main entrance from Trafalgar Square. For the first time in its history, it now bears the inscription THE NATIONAL GALLERY in gold. The portico leads up to a spacious new entrance vestibule and a completely refurbished staircase hall designed by Jeremy Dixon and Edward Jones who proposed opening up the ground floor to public use. This is the latest stage in the quest to strike the right balance between maintaining the integrity of the existing building while at the same time designing the surrounding space for more contemporary use. Written by eminent architecture critic and author, Kenneth Powell - and with an introduction by the Director, Charles Saumarez Smith - delete this line as this is not confirmed yet, this is an enthralling account of the controversial architectural history of a much-loved building.« less