Sainsbury Wing of National Gallery Remains Controversial

If buildings could express feelings, would they oppose their own demolition? For the National Gallery’s Sainsbury Wing, currently undergoing controversial redevelopment, a unique approval from beyond the grave has emerged.

During the demolition of a pair of columns in the gallery’s foyer last year, a hidden letter from major donor Lord Sainsbury was discovered inside one of the columns. The note, stored in a plastic folder, passionately opposes the existence of these non-structural pillars and celebrates their removal.

“If you have found this note,” begins Sainsbury’s letter, dated 26 July 1990 and typed entirely in capital letters on his supermarket’s headed paper, “you must be engaged in demolishing one of the false columns that have been placed in the foyer of the Sainsbury wing of the National Gallery.”

He continues, “I believe that the false columns are a mistake of the architect, and that we would live to regret our accepting this detail of his design. Let it be known that one of the donors of this building is absolutely delighted that your generation has decided to dispense with the unnecessary columns.”

Sainsbury, who passed away in 2022, seems to find posthumous joy in this vindication. His widow, Anya, was present when the note was removed and placed in the gallery’s archive. “I was so happy for John’s letter to be rediscovered after all these years,” she told the Art Newspaper, “and I feel he would be relieved and delighted for the gallery’s new plans and the extra space they are creating.”

Back when the Sainsbury Wing first opened in 1991, it wasn’t just Sainsbury who had reservations about the playful postmodern design by the Philadelphia practice of Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown. British critics gave it a lukewarm reception, with verdicts ranging from “a vulgar American piece of postmodern mannerist pastiche” to “picturesque mediocre slime.” It was seen as too traditional for modernists and too experimental for traditionalists.

Despite its initial reception, the building has earned acclaim over time as one of the most sophisticated examples of postmodern architecture in the country. The design combines the classicism of the existing gallery with modern motifs, utilizing steel and dark tinted glass.

Venturi’s concept played with the Corinthian pilasters of William Wilkins’ 1830s building, repeating them across the facade and integrating large sheets of tinted glazing, reminiscent of a 1990s shopping mall. The false columns in the foyer were part of a spatial sequence meant to guide visitors from an almost crypt-like lower level to the airy galleries above, inspired by the entry to an ancient church.

Neil MacGregor, director of the National Gallery when the Sainsbury Wing was built, explained that Venturi intended the foyer to resemble a crypt, leading to the galleries above. He emphasized that Sainsbury felt the extra columns would obscure sightlines and confuse visitors.

Over 30 years later, the current administration of the National Gallery has embraced Sainsbury’s view. Director Gabriele Finaldi and architect Annabelle Selldorf aim to alter the “heavy grey architecture” and abundance of thick pillars. Selldorf’s renovation plans envision a “more casual seating area, where visitors can spend time and watch people come by, a free space where everyone is welcome.”

However, the proposed makeover features a bright, smooth, and beige lobby, drawing comparisons to airport lounges and hotel foyers worldwide. It may be less encumbered by columns, but it risks losing its unique charm, becoming almost generic.

At least, the man who originally funded the project can now rest easy. We might even look forward to discovering more posthumous notes from Sainsbury, perhaps critiquing other aspects of the gallery like oversized cornice moldings or tinted windows.

Source: The Guardian