The redesigned National Gallery Sainsbury Wing has opened in London

Designed by Selldorf Architects in close collaboration with Purcell heritage architects, the £85m transformation of Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown's Sainsbury Wing at London's National Gallery aims to make the building more welcoming and accessible, and to improve visitor flow.

"We all miss out when anyone thinks that the National Gallery is not for them. Selldorf Architects’ thoughtful interventions make the Gallery entrance lighter, more welcoming, and more visible as a public space. We hope many visitors may step inside for the first time, and those who have come before, can experience a different start to their visit and view of our collection," said National Gallery director Sir Gabriele Finaldi.

The project has seen the ground level opened up with the removal of non-structural columns and the first floor reduced to a curved mezzanine to create a double height foyer. The original dark glass has been replaced with clear glazing, letting more daylight in and improving visibility from and towards Trafalgar Square.

The ground floor now features a café, a store, and an information counter. The basement auditorium, meanwhile, has been modernised, with new upholstered seating, new lights and carpet and a more spacious entrance hall.

“Aiming to do just what was essential to fulfil the needs of the brief – namely to function as the main entrance of the National Gallery, welcoming millions more people than in 1991 – we have opened up the sightlines, streamlined the queuing and security experience, and have brought more light across and into the space,” said Annabelle Selldorf.

“We have approached the project from a position of consideration and respect for the principles of Venturi, Scott Brown’s original design. People will feel more welcomed to come and stay and be able to orient themselves more easily in the building with its new connections to Trafalgar Square.”