The design by Foster+Partners has improved access to the Grade II-listed building, creating a new East Gallery alongside that of the reserve collection, and transforming existing spaces into a new suite of galleries for special exhibitions.
Highlighting the flexibility of the original design, the project is the third time that the building has been reconfigured to meet changing needs. Designed between 1974 and 1976 and opened in 1978, the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts on the University of East Anglia campus was Norman Foster’s first major public building. It was extended in 1991 and 2006, both to Foster’s designs.
The new East Gallery provides a flexible display space so that for the first time the principal floor is dedicated to the Sainsbury Collection. Visitors spaces have been consolidated close to the entrance, with a new information desk, shop and refurbished cafe.
