The National Gallery, Bicentenary Shops
London, UK - Retail
Storytelling through space
Ryder Interiors has been working with the National Gallery since 2023. Commissions include the Getty Shop at the Portico Entrance, the Espresso Bar and the van Gogh Exhibition Shop completed in 2024, as well as three new shops as part of the Sainsbury Wing NG200 major project which opened to the public in 2025.
Getty Shop
The 200m² Getty Shop reopened in May 2024 at the start of the National Gallery’s bicentenary celebrations. The shop is architecturally unique, occupying space in the Wilkins building (1838) and the Annenberg Court (2003-2005), resulting in a strong contrast between the 19th and 20th Century designs.
We developed a unique solution, tailored to the history and space within the Gallery by using bespoke finishes, colour and shop fit.
A timber panelled library in the lower section displays the book collection, creating an intimate immersive feel. In contrast, a deep blue print shop in the taller Wilkins building is reminiscent of the galleries. Fixtures throughout are designed to ensure easy navigation across the range. The three entrances were opened up to allow for better visibility and customer flow.
van Gogh Exhibition Shop
‘van Gogh: Poets and Lovers’ was a once in a lifetime exhibition.
Our design of the shop was reminiscent of the artist’s studio. Perimeter walls were densely merchandised books, catalogues, post cards and small prints. With the ‘cabinet of curiosities; displaying objects inspired by the artist at the end wall and primary vista.
With 340,000 exhibition visits, the shop sold:
Reimagining the Sainsbury Wing
Our design competition winning approach saw the transformation of the ground floor Welcome Shop, lower ground Exhibition Shop and the first floor Crivelli Bookshop as part of the major redevelopment of the Institution’s NG200 renewal programme.
The Grade I listed Sainsbury Wing, originally designed by Venturi Scott Brown and opened in 1991, has been substantially altered by Selldorf Architects and Purcell.
We worked closely with Selldorf and the National Gallery to ensure the design solutions fits seamlessly within both the contemporary and historic architectural context.
Ground floor Welcome Shop
Each 90m² shop supports the overall gallery retail proposition, whilst holding its own as a unique retail destination that can be shopped in isolation. We provided a customer focussed solution with clear vistas and circulation, supporting orientation, encouraging browsing, increasing dwell time and enhancing the overall experience.
All fixtures are fully flexible, meaning free standing furniture can adapt to evolving retail needs. Perimeter units have pocket doors for the gift shop to be easily closed during out of hours events.
First floor Crivelli Bookshop
The 75m² Crivelli bookshop shares a mezzanine with Locatelli’s destination restaurant. A blended, leisurely experience is created through zoning. A place to eat, and a place to shop with a read, shop, eat and drink area brings both distinction and familiarity between the two spaces.
The design of the restaurant and bookshop is unique to the others in the gallery. Their complimentary blend creates a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere that encourages engagement with an audience that have previously felt the gallery is not for them.
Lower ground Exhibition Shop
The 150m² exhibition shop is located at the exit to the temporary exhibition galleries. Our design took the opportunity to significantly increase the front of house retail offer by expanding into the adjacent but redundant Venturi cinema space. The expansion gives customers greater room to explore the space, stay, and shop.
Fixtures were kept simple and white to allow exhibition specific colours and finishes to be applied for the biannually changing programmes. For “Radical Harmony”, an exhibition which shows the largest Neo-Expressionist collection, we followed the exhibition design theme of orange and purple pointillism to harmonise the exhibition narrative and retail experience.
