National Galleries Of Scotland Announces £56M Funding Boost For V&A East Storehouse-Like Gallery In Edinburgh The Art Newspaper International Art News And Events

The National Galleries of Scotland (NGS) is moving ahead with a major expansion in north Edinburgh after the Scottish government pledged £56 million over the next three years to help launch The Art Works, a free-to-visit gallery in Granton. Construction is set to begin this summer on a project that the NGS says will transform how the public encounters Scotland's national art collection.

The new building is designed to house more than 130,000 works of art, including material that is now largely hidden from view. Visitors will be able to pull out storage racks containing paintings and use viewing rooms to look through photographs and drawings, a model Anne Lyden, the NGS director-general, has compared to the V&A East Storehouse in London. The aim is not simply storage, but access: a place where the collection can be handled, studied, and experienced more directly.

The project sits at the center of the NGS's 2026-30 strategic plan, which focuses on widening public access to the national collection. At present, only 3% of the NGS holdings are on display in its galleries or out on loan. Lyden has said the remaining works are kept in storage that is expensive, overcrowded, and no longer fit for purpose, adding that The Art Works is intended as the solution.

The organization also wants the new space to support education and participation, including its ambition that every child and young person should have the chance to interact with Scotland's national artworks. Lyden has described the building as a place for discovery, where visitors might pull out racks, attend events, or spend time in the grounds.

The total cost of the project has been cited as at least £100 million, though Lyden has said the final figure remains difficult to pin down because of global uncertainty. The NGS is still seeking additional capital from the UK government and philanthropic donors.

The funding announcement lands at a moment of cautious optimism for Scotland's arts sector. Creative Scotland awarded £200 million to 251 arts organizations in 2025, and the Scottish government announced £266.3 million for arts and culture this January, £70 million more than the previous year. An independent report by BiGGAR Economics estimated that the NGS contributed £253 million to Scotland's economy in 2024/25 through tourism, jobs, and cultural activity.

Even so, Lyden has stressed that financial pressure remains a real concern, especially for institutions maintaining historic buildings. After The Art Works is completed, the NGS plans major refurbishment work at its National Gallery on the Mound in Edinburgh's city center, extending a broader effort to invest in access, infrastructure, and the long-term care of Scotland's public collections.

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