Kengo Kuma Wins National Gallery Extension Commission for £750 Million Project Domani
The National Gallery in London has chosen Kengo Kuma and Associates to design the next phase of its campus overhaul, placing the Tokyo-based firm behind a major new extension that will reshape the museum’s footprint in the early 2030s. The project is part of Project Domani, the gallery’s £750 million ($995 million) campaign to expand its collection into the 20th and 21st centuries and rework the surrounding site.
Kuma will work with UK firms BDP and MICA on the scheme, which is still subject to ratification after a standstill period ending April 16. The new wing will rise on the site of St. Vincent House, a hotel and office complex that is slated for demolition. When complete, the extension is expected to add about 15,000 square feet of exhibition space, a roughly 15 percent increase.
The wing itself is expected to cost around £350 million ($464 million), while the remainder of the campaign funds will support post-1900 acquisitions and an endowment intended to help cover operating costs for the new building. In other words, Project Domani is not only about architecture; it is also a long-term collecting strategy.
The selection followed an international competition that drew 65 submissions and narrowed to six finalists in December. Among the shortlisted firms were Selldorf Architects, Foster + Partners, and Renzo Piano Building Workshop, names that underscored the scale of the competition. Foster and Piano are both Pritzker Prize winners, making Kuma something of an unexpected choice on paper.
Yet the jury, led by National Gallery board chair John Booth, gave Kuma’s proposal its highest score and described it as “exemplary.” In its statement, the panel praised the design as “both innovative and beautiful,” citing its sensitivity to the surrounding streets and the way it brings natural light into the building.
The plans also call for new pedestrian-friendly zones between Leicester Square and Trafalgar Square, along with a roof garden. National Gallery director Gabriele Finaldi said Kuma’s work shows “exceptional design elegance,” as well as a strong sensitivity to place, history, light, and materials.
For the National Gallery, the commission marks a significant architectural bet: one that pairs a major expansion with a more open urban presence, and signals how museums are increasingly using building projects to rethink both their collections and their civic role.
