LONDON.- On 9 September 2025, the National Gallery, one of the world’s pre-eminent collections of paintings made in the Western tradition, announced Project Domani, its largest transformation since its foundation 200 years ago, backed by an unprecedented £375m of cash pledges.

Project Domani also includes the Gallery's move to extend its historic collection beyond 1900, making Trafalgar Square the one place in the world that presents the complete history of Western painting.

As part of this exciting development, the Gallery launched an international architectural competition for a brand-new wing to house its expanded collection. Sixty-five submissions were received.

Today (3 December 2025), the Gallery has announced the six shortlisted architects (listed in alphabetical order).

• Farshid Moussavi Architecture + Piercy & Company (both UK)
• Foster + Partners (UK)
• Kengo Kuma and Associates (Japan) + BDP (UK)
• Renzo Piano Building Workshop (Italy) + Adamson Associates (UK)
• Selldorf Architects (USA) + Purcell (UK)
• Studio Seilern Architects (UK)

These shortlisted firms will now take part in a design competition, with the final architect and wider technical design team being appointed by April 2026.

The jury for the design competition is (listed in alphabetical order).

• John Booth -Chair, National Gallery Board of Trustees. Chair of the Jury

• Céline Condorelli - Artist

• Sir Gabriele Finaldi - Director, the National Gallery

• Lady Patty Hopkins - Architect, RIBA Gold Medal Winner and former National Gallery Trustee (1998–2006)

• Sir John Kingman - Deputy Chair, National Gallery Board of Trustees

• Dame Diana Lees -Former Director, The Imperial War Museum

• David Marks - Chair, National Gallery Masterplan Committee

This architectural competition is the third stage of an ambitious masterplan commissioned by the Gallery in 2018.

The Gallery’s wing will be built on the site of the last remaining part of the National Gallery’s current campus: St Vincent House, 30 Orange Street. The property was acquired nearly 30 years ago, for the purpose of expanding gallery space and currently houses a hotel and office complex.

Project Domani will also revitalise the area between Leicester Square and Trafalgar Square, creating a vibrant, fresh experience for visitors. The new wing will benefit from the dramatic advances made in building techniques and sustainability during recent decades. It will be a landmark of both local and international significance, enriching the nation’s artistic presence on a global scale.

National Gallery Chair of Trustees and Jury Chair, John Booth says ‘The National Gallery’s renowned collection of great paintings and our ambition to develop this further for the benefit of a larger, more diverse public demands a space that not only preserves and displays the collection, but also elevates the visitor experience, enhancing the Gallery’s reputation as one of the most visited and stimulating museums in the world.

We look forward to finding the right architectural partner to join us on this once-in-a-lifetime journey to create a landmark of local and international significance: creatively ambitious, technologically innovative and environmentally sensitive.’

Project Domani will bolster the significance of both the National Gallery and the UK within a highly competitive international cultural landscape. We are delighted that a number of individuals share our vision and are supporting us in making it a reality. This includes the two largest ever publicly reported cash donations to a museum or gallery globally.

£150 million has been generously pledged by Crankstart, the charitable foundation of Sir Michael Moritz KBE and his wife, Harriet Heyman, and an equally transformative £150 million has been committed by the Julia Rausing Trust. We are deeply grateful for these landmark gifts, which together lay the foundation for Project Domani. We also warmly acknowledge the further £75 million contributed by the National Gallery Trust, National Gallery Chair of Trustees John Booth, and other donors who prefer to remain anonymous; their support is invaluable as we move forward.

Yet there is still more to do. Fundraising is only halfway there, says National Gallery Director, Sir Gabriele Finaldi. ‘Project Domani is a £750 million campaign that will redefine the National Gallery for the next century. Thanks to the remarkable support we have already received, we are building momentum towards our vision of creating new spaces to house an expanded collection, building an acquisitions fund for modern paintings, while also ensuring the Gallery’s long-term financial sustainability through a robust endowment.

The National Gallery was formed to make great art accessible to all. With this new physical and artistic expansion, and with the invaluable help of our donors, we are reaffirming our commitment to the public. We want to broaden our engagement with local, national and international visitors through enhanced displays, exhibitions, research, public programmes and educational initiatives. We now look forward to welcoming new donors and partners to help us realise this shared ambition.’