Designed to support creativity, learning and environmental responsibility, the buildings are intended to expand access to the historic site.<\/p>\n
The standalone ArtPlay Pavilion sits within the newly expanded Sculpture Garden and is aimed to connect new audiences \u2013 particularly children \u2013 to the experience of art in the landscape. \u2018It\u2019s curated for play,\u2019 says Andy Groarke, director at Carmody Groarke, while the director of the gallery, Jennifer Scott, describes it as \u2018a haven of fun\u2019.<\/p>\n
Square in footprint, the pavilion is rotated 45\u00b0 in relation to Soane\u2019s original axis \u2013 meaning two of its fa\u00e7ades face the site\u2019s two main visitor entrances. The simple cruciform plan is crowned with a reciprocal grid timber roof, formed of Douglas fir, drawing light from above into the space and echoing Soane\u2019s top-lit exhibition halls \u2013 a pioneering architectural innovation of Dulwich Picture Gallery.<\/p>\n
Inside, the timber roof structure is also turned 45\u00b0 to subtly reorient the pavilion with the gallery. The structure is entirely of timber, forming a lightweight, low-carbon frame \u2013 with all the timber used sourced in the UK. Externally, it has large, overhanging painted-metal canopies which reach out from all four sides, providing outdoor shelter.<\/p>\n
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These canopies also reference the lantern on top of Soane\u2019s Grade I-listed mausoleum, located in St Pancras Gardens, which originally inspired the iconic design of the red telephone box. \u2018The Pavilion is designed to have a conversation with Soane,\u2019 says Groarke.<\/p>\n
Large circular-framed openings connect children directly to the surrounding gardens. The walls are tightly clad in inverted ziggurat-style painted wood, the horizontal banding also designed to echo Soane. \u2018It emulates the subtle modulation of the brick pilasters in the gallery fa\u00e7ades,\u2019 Groarke explains.<\/p>\n
The cruciform layout of the pavilion allows for distinct rooms at each corner of the plan to house specific functions: an entrance lobby, toilets, creative play spaces and a site-wide energy centre.<\/p>\n
Inside the play spaces, inclusive space designer HoLD Art Collective has designed a series of activities for children under eight years old. The walls of these rooms have been sculpted to create a sensory environment and respond to the gallery\u2019s own collection of historic paintings. Different areas are focused around different elements \u2013 sun, earth, water and wind \u2013 with play environments inspired by depictions in works by amongst others Rembrandt, Canaletto and Poussin. \u2018The environment is totally driven by the paintings forming a visual, sensual language,\u2019 says artist Stephanie Jefferies of HoLD Art Collective.<\/p>\n
Next to the pavilion, in a formerly disused Grade II-listed building \u2013 the Gallery Cottage \u2013 has been restored and extended to form a new caf\u00e9 and school lunchroom. Also constructed from Douglas fir, the extension is clad in copper with daffodil-coloured canvas awnings.<\/p>\n
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Both canteen and the pavilion are powered by a new ground source heat pump, also providing heating to the 1815 gallery. This was installed as part of the gallery\u2019s long-term decarbonisation strategy.<\/p>\n
The gallery\u2019s new sculpture garden, where the pavilion is based, revitalises an under-used part of the grounds. Within this, landscape architect Kim Wilkie has designed The Lovington Sculpture Meadow, which features a \u2018plaited\u2019 landform artwork inspired by the golden chain that the gallery\u2019s star painting \u2013 Rembrandt\u2019s Girl at a Window \u2013 features. In addition, new trees have been planted to enhance biodiversity.<\/p>\n
To coincide with the opening, Carmody Groarke has released a short film directed by Nyima Murray documenting the material journey of the pavilion.<\/p>\n
The two new interventions \u2013 ArtPlay and Sculpture Garden \u2013 mark the gallery\u2019s most significant redevelopment in 25 years.<\/p>\n
Dulwich Picture Gallery has previously showcased emerging architectural talent through its series of design contests for temporary summer pavilions on its lawns. Run together with the London Festival of Architecture (LFA), the first competition was\u00a0won by IF_DO<\/a>\u00a0in 2017, while the 2019 edition\u00a0saw the arrival of the \u2018colour palace\u2019<\/a>\u00a0by Pricegore with Yinka Ilori.<\/p>\n Dulwich Picture Gallery<\/p>\n Carmody Groarke\u2019s proposal for the planned to be \u00a34.5 million Dulwich Picture Gallery\u2019s expansion was approved for planning in 2023<\/a>, unexpectedly, after Southwark councillors went against planning officers\u2019 recommendations to refuse.<\/p>\n Planning officers had recommended the scheme for refusal, expressing concerns at the loss of Metropolitan Open Land, as well as the new building\u2019s impact on the setting of the listed gallery and cottage. However, Southwark\u2019s planning committee approved the scheme in a rare departure from its officers\u2019 recommendation.<\/p>\n Carmody Groarke, which was shortlisted for the 2021 RIBA Stirling Prize<\/a>, is due to turn 20 next year.<\/p>\n Earlier this year, it completed the renovation of an apartment in a 19th century Grade II-listed\u00a0merchant\u2019s house<\/a> in Covent Garden, adding a folded aluminium rooftop pavilion \u2013 shortlisted for this year\u2019s Manser Medal in the AJ Architecture Awards \u2013 as well as the transformation of a former 1970s textile workshop into workspace clad in galvanised steel<\/a> in Bethnal Green, east London.<\/p>\n The practice\u2019s next phase of the major restoration of the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester \u2013 the Power Hall \u2013 is also due to complete this autumn.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, its\u00a0Design Museum Gent<\/a>, formed out of its\u00a0own bespoke low-carbon facing brick<\/a>, and a new\u00a0archive conservation centre<\/a> for the French National Library in Amiens, planned to be one of the most airtight buildings in the world, with Paris-based TVK, are both due to complete next year.<\/p>\n The British Library\u2019s low-carbon archive, designed by Carmody Groarke, will complete the first phase of its long-term plan at Boston Spa early in 2026.<\/p>\n Model<\/p>\n Client\u2019s view<\/p>\n We have been thrilled to work with Carmody Groarke on this significant project at Dulwich Picture Gallery. They have intuitively responded to the innovation of Sir John Soane by designing new spaces for children \u2014 the creatives of the future. In particular, we value the architects\u2019 responsible approach to sustainability. These exceptional architectural interventions on our historic site provide the platform for the Gallery\u2019s future of bringing art to life and life to art. \u00a0 Project data<\/p>\n Location Dulwich Picture Gallery, London![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Dulwich-Picture-Gallery-\u00a9-Luca-Piffaretti-2-scaled.jpeg\")
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Dulwich Picture Gallery<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/DPG_Site-Plan-Base_400-at-A1_Press-Release_rev3-path-update-scaled.webp.webp\")
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Completion\u00a0September 2025
Area 315m\u00b2 (ArtPlay Pavilion and canteen)
Construction cost Undisclosed
Client Dulwich Picture Gallery
Architect Carmody Groarke
Structural engineer Structure Workshop
Services engineer Webb Yates
Landscape artist Kim Wilkie
Play designer HoLD Art Collective with Zoe Francis Spowage
Planning and heritage consultant Savills
Project manager Simon Bristow Associates
Health and safety consultant Costplan Group
Building control London Building Control
Model making Measure Workshop
Contractor 8build<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The built interventions within the grounds of the Grade II*-listed building include the construction of a new, permanent…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":113888,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[6225,6485,6486,1120,96,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-113887","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-design","tag-entertainment","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113887","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=113887"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113887\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/113888"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=113887"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=113887"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=113887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}