Alistair Hardaker | Image: Rendering of the Blavatnik Contemporary Galleries at the Courtauld (Secchi Smith)
Blavatnik Family Foundation gift of £10m supports creation of galleries as part of Somerset House campus development.
The Courtauld has announced the creation of two new galleries dedicated to contemporary art, expected to open in 2029 as part of the development of its new campus at Somerset House.
The Blavatnik Contemporary Galleries will be supported by a £10m gift from the Blavatnik Family Foundation, bringing the foundation’s total support for the institution to £20m. The gift also includes realisation of the Blavatnik Reading Room within the Courtauld’s remodelled library.
Located on the top floor of the North Wing of Somerset House within the new Courtauld Campus, the two galleries restore a space designed in the 18th century as a display room for the Royal Society. They will be accessible via a dedicated entrance opposite the main gallery entrance.
The galleries will provide a space for visitors and students to experience contemporary art through special exhibitions, commissions and events. They will also be a site for experimentation and collective learning for students on the Courtauld Institute’s MA in Curating, who will play a significant role in delivering the programme.
Elena Crippa, senior curator of contemporary art: exhibitions and projects at the Courtauld, said the new galleries “will be a site of possibilities for artists to present exceptional artworks.”
“These new spaces will help us connect past and present art and ideas, engage students and bring living artists to the core of our activities.”
The Blavatnik Family Foundation previously supported the creation of the Blavatnik Fine Rooms, which opened in 2021 as part of a major redevelopment of the Courtauld Gallery completed by Witherford Watson Mann Architects, winners of the 2025 RIBA Stirling Prize.
