The Duke of York's Headquarters building is now in use
as the Saatchi Gallery.
The building is Grade II* listed with
the entry at the English Heritage website [visit link] telling us about the
structure:
"1801. John Sanders, architect.
Originally the Royal Military Asylum (Duke of York's School). Three storeys.
Thirteen windows wide with wing ends 3 windows wide. Yellow brick, with stone
pedimented Roman Doric tetrastyle portico. Stone cornice with blocking course
and band below balustrade at first floor. Arched recessed ground floor windows,
upper floor windows with gauged flat arches. Glazing bars. Return wings with
cornice and blocking course. Qaudrant screens to either side."
The gallery's website [visit
link] tells about the building:
"The Saatchi Gallery opened in
October 2008 in the 70,000 sq. ft. Duke of York HQ building on King's Road,
Chelsea with an exhibition dedicated to new art from China.
Free admission to all shows -
including temporary, curated exhibitions, as part of the Saatchi Gallery's aim
to bring contemporary art to the widest audience possible.
The Gallery also includes a
dedicated space for Saatchi Online artists to exhibit and sell their work
commission free. The space features a rotating selection of winning Showdown
artists chosen from Saatchi Online Magazine's weekly critics' picks and Showdown
competition."
It also gives an overview of the
art and artists on display:
"The Saatchi Gallery aims to
provide an innovative forum for contemporary art, presenting work by largely
unseen young artists or by international artists whose work has been rarely or
never exhibited in the UK.
The audience for exhibitions of
contemporary art has increased widely during the recent years as general
awareness and interest in contemporary art has developed both in Britain and
abroad.
When The Saatchi Gallery first
opened over twenty five years ago it was only those who had a dedicated interest
in contemporary art who sought out the gallery to see work by new artists. The
audience, however, built steadily over the years and by the time the gallery
left its second home at County Hall, visitor numbers reached 600,000 per annum,
with over 1,000 schools organising student visits.
The Saatchi Gallery has worked with
media sponsors on a number of shows including The Observer, The Sunday Times,
Evening Standard, The Independent on Sunday and Time Out.
Many artists showing at The Saatchi
Gallery are unknown when first exhibited, not only to the general public but
also to the commercial art world. Many of these artists are subsequently offered
shows by galleries and museums internationally. In this effect, the gallery also
operates as a springboard for young artists to launch their
careers."
Entry to the gallery is
free.