The redevelopment will retain the vision of the original architects, Powell and Moya, while bringing the building up to modern standards and ensuring this exceptional collection can be enjoyed by future generations. The new facility will offer better provision for researchers, students and the public, including improved disabled access and enhanced research facilities.
Christ Church Picture Gallery to undergo major renovation and expansion
Christ Church, Oxford has today announced plans for a major renovation and extension of the Christ Church Picture Gallery, transforming the Grade II listed building into an expanded, world-class facility designed to preserve and enhance public and scholarly access to one of the world’s finest ‘small’ Old Master collections.
The Picture Gallery is home to around 7,000 works of art, including paintings, drawings, prints, glass, metal icons and sculpture. It is internationally renowned, and a number of works in its care are classed as items of world heritage. However, the existing 1960s building no longer provides the modern conditions required for a collection of such historic and international significance.
To enable the work to take place, the Gallery will close for the duration of the renovation. Preparations are now underway to decant the collection, with the gallery closing to prepare for this work. The final day of opening to the public will be Thursday, April 30. During the closure, the collection will be cared for in museum-quality storage by a specialist provider with in-house expertise in fine art handling.
Christ Church is making arrangements for some of its most prominent works to remain on display to the public via loans to other national institutions during the closure period.
The renovation plans have been drawn up by Ptolemy Dean OBE, a specialist in historic preservation and in designing buildings in keeping with historic surroundings. He serves on the National Trust Architectural Panel and Salisbury Cathedral Fabric Advisory Committee. Since 2012 he has held the post of Surveyor of the Fabric at Westminster Abbey, where in 2018 he led work on the Weston Tower, the most significant addition to the Abbey in more than two centuries.
By creating a larger, more accessible, museum-standard space, we will be able to share more of these remarkable works, improve facilities for study and learning, and ensure the best possible conditions for their conservation for decades to come.
By creating a larger, more accessible, museum-standard space, we will be able to share more of these remarkable works, improve facilities for study and learning, and ensure the best possible conditions for their conservation for decades to come.
Professor Sarah Foot, Dean of Christ Church
Professor Sarah Foot, Dean of Christ Church, said: “This project is an essential investment in the long-term care and public enjoyment of the Christ Church collection. I am excited by Ptolemy Dean’s vision for a world-class Picture Gallery fit for the coming century and beyond. By creating a larger, more accessible, museum-standard space, we will be able to share more of these remarkable works, improve facilities for study and learning, and ensure the best possible conditions for their conservation for decades to come.”
Key benefits of the redeveloped Picture Gallery will include:
More space to share the collection – a significant increase in gross internal area, enabling expanded exhibition space and improved interpretation.
World-class collections care – museum-standard environmental conditions and enhanced security to support the highest standards of stewardship, conservation and display.
Accessibility for all – improved access for visitors including researchers, members of Christ Church, the collegiate University and the public, including lift access via Canterbury Quad to support the Gallery.
Dedicated provision for the print and drawing collection – purpose-designed space for the Gallery’s internationally important holdings of works on paper.
Shared facilities with the College Library project – developed alongside the Library extension, creating opportunities for shared infrastructure, including a digitisation suite and improved storage for both collections.