Construction is continuing on the Scottish National Gallery project to create new, world-class galleries to house the national collection of historic Scottish art.
The first phase of the Scottish National Gallery Project was completed successfully in 2019. This included the new Gardens entrance area, a beautifully refurbished café, restaurant and shop, and new landscaping and paths in East Princes Street Gardens to improve access to the gardens and the Galleries.
Work is now on-going on the next phase, to convert areas originally built in the 1970s into the new suite of galleries, alongside newly created spaces.
Director-General of the National Galleries of Scotland, John Leighton, said:
“In the course of this work it has become apparent that there are some unexpected defects within the 1970s building which sits beneath the original nineteenth-century National Gallery. These include issues with damp penetration and inadequate drainage in and around the site. We are now addressing these issues to ensure that the building is fully protected and safeguarded for the future, so that it can better withstand any future extremes of weather.
In order to accommodate this extra work we have therefore revised our timescales for the project. We are now aiming to complete works on the new Gardens Level Galleries by the end of 2021, when we will be showcasing a brand new-space for our fantastic collection of Scottish art.
In the meantime, the Scottish National Gallery remains fully open to the public who can also enjoy the new restaurant, café and much larger shop. Disruption to visitors and the public during this construction phase will be kept to a minimum.
We look forward to unveiling our exciting new galleries which will be home to the world’s greatest collection of Scottish art, including some works that will be displayed for the very first time.”
Find out the latest about our plans to build fantastic new galleries for the nation's collection of Scottish art as part of the Scottish National Gallery Project.
The a look at the fly-through animation of the how the fantastic new gallery space, dedicated to Scottish art.