Pavilion of ArtPlay
The Dulwich Picture Gallery, the world's first purpose-built public art gallery, designed by Sir John Soane in 1815, has undergone a significant transformation with the addition of the ArtPlay Pavilion and the Lovington Sculpture Meadow. This £5 million scheme, developed by the architecture firm Carmody Groarke, aims to expand the Gallery's provision for families, schools, and the wider community while aligning the estate with contemporary sustainability goals.
The ArtPlay Pavilion, opening to the public in September 2025, is a playful and educational space designed for children under eight years old. Its orientation, rotated 45 degrees against Soane's axis, creates a hinge between different parts of the site. The pavilion is built from UK-grown Douglas fir, with the approach reducing embodied carbon while supporting domestic forestry.
The pavilion's facade is legible from a distance but also reveals details up close. Timber slats arranged vertically and becoming taller at each level create an intriguing visual appeal. Inside, HoLD Art Collective has designed a series of installations, translating themes of earth, wind, water, and light into sensory structures. The pavilion's architecture allows it to become a "little box of fun" and frames views of the gardens that surround it.
The pavilion's walls are thick with 350mm of insulation, and the painted-metal canopies provide shelter, solar shading, and transitional space between indoors and outdoors. Oversized canopies and windows on all four sides mimic children's playscapes, offering soft structures, calming soundscapes, and opportunities for repetitive play for children from six months to eight years old.
Sessions in the pavilion are free or low-cost for local schools and families on Universal Credit, extending access to groups often under-represented in cultural institutions. The canteen, adjacent to the pavilion, is a cafe and lunchroom for school groups, constructed using UK-grown Douglas fir and serving as a grab-and-go cafe when not in use.
Kim Wilkie was brought onto the project to design the Lovington Sculpture Meadow, which introduces land art inspired by works inside the gallery. The meadow forms a braided amphitheatre-like form for play and performance, with more than 130 new trees and extensive new planting enhancing biodiversity. The garden integrates practical improvements, including new paths, seating, and additional toilet provision.
Carmody Groarke completed two new interventions: the ArtPlay Pavilion and the adaptive reuse of the historic gallery cottage as the 'Canteen'. The project aims to increase visibility and views into and across the site, treating each facade as if it were an entrance. The gallery and its grounds have undergone a significant transformation over the past 25 years, with the most recent interventions completed by Carmody Groarke.
The ArtPlay Pavilion and the Canteen, along with the reimagined Sculpture Garden, are part of a scheme to redefine the Dulwich Picture Gallery's landscape and provide new spaces for learning and play. The sculptures within the landscape are displayed on rotation, adding a dynamic element to the garden's design. This transformation promises to make the Dulwich Picture Gallery a more welcoming and engaging space for visitors of all ages.
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