The National Gallery has revealed its shortlist of six prestigious architectural teams competing to design a groundbreaking new wing worth £375 million ($470 million) as part of the high-profile Project Domani, which means "tomorrow" in Italian. The shortlisted candidates include some of the world's most celebrated architects: Japan's Kengo Kuma, Italy's renowned Renzo Piano, and New York-based Selldorf Architects, who recently completed renovations on the gallery's Sainsbury Wing originally designed by Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates.

The competition also features other prominent firms including Foster & Partners, a joint proposal from Farshid Moussavi Architecture and Piercy & Company, and London-based Studio Seilern Architects. The architectural competition, organized by Colander Associates, attracted an impressive 65 submissions from around the world, demonstrating the international appeal and significance of this landmark project.

The winning architect will be tasked with designing an entirely new wing spanning between 5,500 to 7,000 square meters (approximately 59,000 to 75,000 square feet). This ambitious addition aims to provide visitors with a vibrant and refreshing experience through new public spaces strategically positioned between Leicester Square and Trafalgar Square, two of London's most iconic locations.

The new wing will be constructed on the site of St Vincent House, a late-1960s building designed by Charles Pike & Partners, located north of the main National Gallery building. The gallery purchased this property nearly three decades ago specifically for the purpose of expanding its exhibition space. The building currently houses a hotel and office complex, which will be demolished to make way for the new cultural facility.

The complete shortlist includes several collaborative teams: Farshid Moussavi Architecture & Piercy & Company (both UK-based); Foster & Partners (UK); Kengo Kuma and Associates (Japan) working with BDP (UK) and MICA (UK); Renzo Piano Building Workshop (Italy) partnering with William Matthews Associates (UK) and Adamson Associates (UK); Selldorf Architects (USA) collaborating with Purcell (UK); and Studio Seilern Architects (UK) teaming up with Donald Insall Associates (UK) and Ralph Appelbaum Associates (UK).

This massive undertaking represents the third and final stage of an ambitious redevelopment master plan that the National Gallery launched in 2018. It will also mark the largest project in the gallery's remarkable 200-year history. The National Gallery, originally designed by William Wilkins, occupies the prestigious northern end of Trafalgar Square and has been a cornerstone of London's cultural landscape since its establishment.

The current project comes more than two decades after Dixon Jones successfully delivered a series of entrance upgrades to the historic complex, demonstrating the gallery's ongoing commitment to enhancing visitor experience while preserving its architectural heritage.

The competition jury is led by John Booth, chair of the National Gallery's board of trustees, and includes several distinguished cultural figures. The panel features artist Céline Condorelli, Diana Lees (former director of The Imperial War Museum), and architect Patty Hopkins, who served as a National Gallery Trustee from 1998 to 2006, bringing decades of experience in cultural institution governance.

John Booth expressed the gallery's ambitious vision for the project, stating: "The National Gallery's renowned collection of great paintings and our ambition to develop this further for the benefit of a larger, more diverse public demands a space that not only preserves and displays the collection, but also elevates the visitor experience, enhancing the gallery's reputation as one of the most visited and stimulating museums in the world. We look forward to finding the right architectural partner to join us on this once-in-a-lifetime journey to create a landmark of local and international significance: creatively ambitious, technologically innovative and environmentally sensitive."

The six shortlisted architectural teams will each receive a £50,000 ($63,000) honorarium to participate in the second round, which will involve a comprehensive design competition. The selection process will culminate in April when the winning architect and the broader technical design team will be officially appointed. The new wing is scheduled for completion in 2030, marking a new chapter in the National Gallery's storied history and significantly expanding London's world-class cultural offerings.