£9m wing for Portrait Gallery

Norwest Holst Construction has been awarded a £9.3 million contract to build a new five-storey wing for the National Portrait Gallery in London. The scheme also includes the restoration of the Grade I listed front staircase and second-floor galleries.

The new wing will provide: a 150-seat lecture theatre in the basement; a new entrance hall and IT gallery on the ground floor; a new gallery to take the chronological display of portraits to the late 20th century on the first floor; a new Tudor Gallery on the second floor; a new restaurant at roof level; and an escalator to improve circulation to all floors of the gallery.

Project manager is Bovis Program Management, architect is Jeremy Dixon, Edward Jones, structural and services engineer is Ove Arup and Partners and quantity surveyor is Gleeds.