Sainsbury's "Carbuncle" Complaint: National Gallery's Controversial Revamp Sparks Debate

The National Gallery's Sainsbury Wing, currently undergoing a controversial revamp, has unearthed a fascinating historical anecdote. During the demolition of two columns in the gallery's foyer last year, a letter from the major donor Lord Sainsbury was discovered, hidden inside one of the columns.

The note, dated 26 July 1990, revealed Sainsbury's staunch opposition to the presence of these decorative pillars, which served no structural purpose. He expressed his delight at their removal, writing in all caps on his supermarket's headed paper: "If you have found this note, you must be engaged in demolishing one of the false columns that have been placed in the foyer of the Sainsbury wing of the National Gallery. I believe that the false columns are a mistake of the architect, and that we would live to regret our accepting this detail of his design. Let it be known that one of the donors of this building is absolutely delighted that your generation has decided to dispense with the unnecessary columns."

Sainsbury, who passed away in 2022, would have been overjoyed to see his wish fulfilled. His widow, Anya, was present when the letter was found and placed in the gallery's archives. "I was so happy for John’s letter to be rediscovered after all these years," she told The Art Newspaper, "and I feel he would be relieved and delighted for the gallery’s new plans and the extra space they are creating."

The Sainsbury Wing, designed by the Philadelphia practice of Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown, opened in 1991 and initially met with a mixed reception from British critics. Some labelled it "a vulgar American piece of postmodern mannerist pastiche," while others described it as "picturesque mediocre slime." The design was too traditional for modernists, too experimental for traditionalists, and deemed overly playful for the typically austere English art world.

The building's creation was fraught with controversy from the outset. The original plan, by the British hi-tech firm Ahrends, Burton and Koralek, was a modernist extension that was swiftly scrapped after a scathing critique from the then Prince of Wales, who famously denounced it as "a monstrous carbuncle on the face of a much loved and elegant friend." To appease establishment tastes, the National Gallery then commissioned Venturi Scott Brown, who delivered a project that, despite its initial reception, has since been recognised as a sophisticated example of postmodern architecture.

Venturi Scott Brown's design cleverly blends the classicism of the existing gallery with modern elements of steel and dark tinted glass. The architects played with the Corinthian pilasters of the original building, incorporating them into the extension's facade in a rhythmic pattern. They then sliced out sections of the walls to reveal panels of tinted glazing, creating a striking contrast reminiscent of 1990s shopping malls.

The contentious columns in the foyer were intended as part of a spatial sequence leading visitors from a shadowed crypt-like lower level, up a grand staircase, and into the airy galleries above. However, Sainsbury strongly disagreed, believing that the columns obscured sightlines and created confusion for visitors.

Former National Gallery director Neil MacGregor recalled Sainsbury's perspective, stating that "Venturi wanted the foyer to have the feel of a mighty crypt, leading upstairs to the galleries, so it was a subsidiary space – the beginning of a journey, not a destination. John Sainsbury argued that sightlines should be as unencumbered as possible, thinking the extra columns would conceal the entrance to the lecture theatre and temporary exhibition galleries, confusing the visitor."

More than three decades later, the National Gallery's current director, Gabriele Finaldi, shares Sainsbury's vision for a more open and accessible space. He and architect Annabelle Selldorf, known for her museum projects worldwide, are aiming to create a "more casual seating area, where visitors can spend time and watch people come by, a free space where everyone is welcome".

While the proposed redesign aims to improve visitor experience, some critics fear that the contemporary makeover will erase the building's unique character. Selldorf's plans promise a smoother, brighter space, reminiscent of airport lounges or hotel lobbies, leading some to worry that the gallery will lose its distinct personality.

Ultimately, the rediscovery of Sainsbury's letter offers a unique window into the complex history of the Sainsbury Wing. It highlights the ongoing debates surrounding the building's architecture and reveals the enduring impact of the donor's vision. The gallery's future direction remains a topic of much discussion, with the debate surrounding the planned revamp likely to continue long after the columns are gone.