THE NATIONAL GALLERY 097


Left Gabriele Finaldi, National Gallery director, inside the National Gallery


Below In 1991, the gallery’s interior was described as showing ‘promise’ by the then-Prince of Wales and now King Charles III


the interiors show ‘promise’: the exterior is not mentioned.


Tere can be little doubt that the firm was awarded the commission mainly on account of its ingenious solution to the problem of the façade. Te extension was never meant to dominate its surroundings – like a star performer given a minor role in an amateur production, it was intended to be a good neighbour. Venturi’s is, above all, an example of architectural tact. Yet the façade can hardly be called neoclassical even – the classicism is just skin-deep. Te claim that they ‘started off by loving’ the old building, the prince’s


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