Sainsbury Centre in Norwich receives £91m donation

Image: Sainsbury Centre, East Anglia, photo courtesy of Peter Couch.

The Sainsbury Centre has secured a £91.2m donation that will be used to refurbish the building, which is part of the University of East Anglia (UEA) campus in Norwich, writes the Museums Association.

The money has come from Gatsby, a charitable foundation created by David Sainsbury, the son of Robert Sainsbury. The art museum was opened in 1978 after Robert Sainsbury and his wife Lisa Sainsbury donated their collection of art and material culture to UEA in 1973.

The Sainsbury Centre, designed by the architect Norman Foster, is now Grade II*-listed. It was relaunched in 2023 with a new approach to how visitors experience the art on display in the museum and outside in the sculpture park. The centre has developed a series of thematic exhibitions that tackle big topics such as love, truth and the meaning of life.

'We are lucky that the quite radical Living Art approach we launched in 2023 and our fundamental question approach to programming has generated a lot of positivity and excitement,' said Sainsbury Centre executive director Jago Cooper.

'Therefore, the positive energy people feel when they come to the museum, the increased visitor numbers, award nominations and enthusiasm is definitely what has generated our ability to secure the financial future of the museum building in such a generous way.

'Asking for money for capital infrastructure is definitely easier when things are going well and the horizon is exciting rather than the other way around,' Cooper concluded.

Foster + Partners was appointed to undertake a feasibility study in 2024. This assessed which parts of the centre needed be upgraded or replaced to improve energy efficiency, enhance the visitor experience, and ensure easy maintenance. Three key areas were identified: the structure of the building, its environmental systems, and key visitor amenities.

The aim is to halve the amount of energy required to operate the building. Photovoltaic panels will be incorporated into the new roof system to allow renewable energy to be generated on site. Ageing environmental systems will also be replaced, and the building will be connected to the university’s district heating and cooling systems to allow improved control over its internal environment.

The project will make an important contribution to the university's commitment to achieving a net zero campus by 2045.

In terms of the visitor experience, there will be renewed entrances, lifts, signage and flooring. Renewed solar controlled blinds will bring more natural light into the gallery spaces and there will be upgrades to the bathrooms, cafe, kitchen, and spaces for staff. There will also be enhancements to the surrounding landscape.

About 1.1 million people visit the Sainsbury Centre and Sculpture Park every year.