Classical design to replace ‘monstrous’ gallery plan

Press, 3 February 1986, Page 20

Classical design to replace ‘monstrous’ gallery plan

By

ROBIN CHARTERIS

in London Britain’s modernist school of architecture may be mortally offended, but Prince Charles should be pleased — the "monstrous carbuncle” will be replaced by a classical design. The extension to London’s National Gallery in Trafalgar Square will be designed by an American and not a British architect, one renowned for his symbolism, style and favour of the classical tradition. The empty site beside the gallery, described as the most prominent and important piece of vacant land in London, became international news last year when Prince Charles called the compromise design, decided on by the gallery’s trustees after a competition for an extension to the gallery, “a monstrous carbuncle.” He and other critics said the modernistic steel and glass structure would be out of keeping with the adjacent neo-classical gallery building designed by William Wilkins, in the 1830 s. At that time, the trustees’ plans had been for an extension combining the gallery and an office block. They saw that as the only economic solution in the absence of Government funding. After the trenchant criticism from Prince Charles and others — which upset the Royal Institute of British Architects — the three Sainsbury brothers, who are supermarket chain owners, stepped in and offered to pay for the extension, thus removing the necessity to combine, it with commerical office space. When a new chairman, Mr Jacob Rothschild, took over, the trustees made a

fresh start. They pledged to look for an architect, not a design, and were anxious that the building “should relate sympathetically to the present building.” They named a short list of six architects last October and have now selected Mr Robert Venturi for the task. Mr Venturi, aged 61, has published numerous

books on architecture which call for lessons to be learnt from the past. He is not popular with the modernist school and has already told Londoners he will “respond” to the quality of Wilkins’ facade on the existing gallery. The task, he says, will combine two of his greatest loves, Italian painting and English architecture.