44 CONTEXT 185 : SEPTEMBER 2025 of pause, perspective and reflection. These are not incidental features but intrinsic to the architecture’s meaning. Conserving the building, therefore, requires more than material repair: it demands an understanding of how the architecture behaves and how people experience it. Moreover, the wing’s location on Trafalgar Square amplifies its heritage value. This is not a hidden gem but a highly visible statement, one that has shaped public debate about architecture for over three decades. The Sainsbury Wing’s listing is not just about architectural form but also about cultural significance: its role in lifting public discourse, challenging taste and making architecture more accessible. Democratisation One of the less discussed but crucial aspects of postmodern architecture is its connection to the democratisation of planning. The postmodern wave coincided with a shift towards making architecture more relatable. Unlike the utopian modernist projects of earlier decades, postmodernism embraced the vernacular, the symbolic and the recognisable. This ethos is reflected in the Sainsbury Wing’s composition. Its facade speaks the language of classicism – columns, pediments, rustication – but with knowing distortion. It acknowledges its context while refusing to imitate it. In doing so, it invites the public to engage with architectural ideas, rather than simply to admire or endure them. Such public legibility was rare in museum architecture at the time. The Sainsbury Wing arguably paved the way for more open, less hierarchical cultural spaces – places where art is encountered with a sense of agency and ease. This vision remains central to its conservation. Evolving significance As more postmodern buildings reach the age of eligibility for listing, the conservation sector faces a new set of challenges. These buildings often come with contested reputations, experimental materials and complex intentions. Yet, as the Sainsbury Wing shows, their significance only deepens with time. Historic England’s role in identifying and listing such structures has been crucial. The relative lack of controversy around postmodern listings – in contrast to brutalist buildings, for instance – suggests a growing appreciation for the movement’s contribution. Significance is not static. Buildings like the Sainsbury Wing must continue to evolve if they are to remain relevant. Conservation, therefore, must be dynamic, preserving not only fabric but meaning. The success of the Sainsbury Wing’s refurbishment demonstrates that this is possible. Through careful research, creative adaptation and a commitment to the building’s original spirit, the project team has shown how even the most stylistically specific architecture can be future-proofed. The reopening of the Sainsbury Wing is more than a milestone for the National Gallery: it is a landmark moment for postmodern heritage in the UK. It affirms that buildings of recent origin, with complex architectural voices, deserve the same care and rigour as older monuments. It also challenges us to refine our conservation approaches – to embrace contradiction, celebrate complexity and protect the pluralism that defines late-20th-century architecture. In preserving and adapting the Sainsbury Wing, we are not merely conserving a building, we are safeguarding a moment in architectural thought, a distinct cultural sensibility and a public dialogue that remains as relevant today as it was in 1991. Alasdair Travers is a design partner and Jon Wright a 20th-century heritage consultant, both with Purcell. The foyer, looking north. The view from the Grand Staircase looking towards the foyer. New interventions, such as improved lighting and wayfinding, clarify the sequence of movement without fundamentally altering the fabric.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MzI0Mzk=