Dulwich Picture Gallery has completed a £5m development that includes an interactive space for children.
The south London gallery is holding a range of public activities on 6-7 September to celebrate the completion of the project, which includes new landscaping. There is also a revamped and extended Gallery Cottage that will be used for school lunches as well as a family cafe and shop on weekends.
The ArtPlay Pavilion was designed by Sarah Marsh and Stephanie Jefferies of Hold Collective, which has created immersive environments for children at Tate, Whitechapel Gallery, Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester Art Gallery, Yorkshire Sculpture Park and the Hepworth Wakefield.
Play activities in the sensory-rich enivironment have been inspired by the gallery’s collection of historic paintings.
“We have been testing things here for years, so we knew that this is what we needed,” said Jennifer Scott, the director of Dulwich Picture Gallery. “We already have a fully subscribed art education programme for children here, but we knew that there was an opportunity to do something a little bit more playful.
“We first opened our doors in 1817, and it was a brand new thing to have a purpose-built public art gallery,” Scott continued. “And what drives us now is the idea that art for everyone.
“Our founders were pretty quirky, and that quirkiness is in our DNA, and so it feels nice to do things that are unexpected, surprising and fun. But actually, as the project has developed, it had felt like a necessity – something that has been much needed for us and our audiences.”
The architect for the development, including the ArtPlay Pavilion, was Carmody Groarke, a London-based practice that has designed a number of cultural buildings, include the Windermere Jetty Museum in the Lake District.
The ArtPlay Pavilion at the Dulwich Picture Gallery in south London, including the Hail the New Prophets sculpture by Harold OffehPhotos © Luca Piffaretti (exterior and interior) and Linda Shakesby (Offeh and child)
As part of the project, elements of Sir John Soane’s 1811 plans for the gallery have been restored, including a new entrance on Gallery Road.
Sustainability was an important part of the scheme. A ground source heat pump will power the gallery’s existing spaces alongside supplying the new buildings, which feature solar panels and are constructed with UK-grown timber frames.
Landscape artist Kim Wilkie created the Lovington Sculpture Meadow, a key part of the Sculpture Garden. It occupies a previously under-utilised field at the south side of the gardens featuring an “art forest” of 130 newly planted trees designed to enhance biodiversity.
Funders for the project include the Julia Rausing Trust, which supported the ArtPlay Pavilion, as well as the Manton Foundation, Wolfson Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Enjoy this article?
Most Museums Journal content is only available to members. Join the MA to get full access to the latest thinking and trends from across the sector, case studies and best practice advice.