Slides, clouds and a box of presents: it’s the Dulwich Picture Gallery’s quirky new pavilion

Canaletto's bridge; Poussin's clouds; Sir John Soane's 1815 building, which inspired his design for the now world-famous London red telephone box; and now, there's something for the younger visitor to the Dulwich Picture Gallery on offer, too. This weekend (6 September 2025) will see the public launch of the south London cultural institution's brand-new ArtPlay Pavilion and Sculpture Garden – a seminal project designed by architects Carmody Groarke, in collaboration with a host of artists and specialist creatives, which the gallery hopes will 'unlock art for everyone'.

Discover the ArtPlay Pavilion at Dulwich Picture Gallery, London

The permanent pavilion designed by Carmody Groarke is a characterful, and yet rather subtle, minimalist timber structure that sits low and unobtrusive, placed next to the (also revamped, to include a canteen) Grade II-listed and formerly disused Gallery Cottage. The exterior references the gallery's architecture and colours (just as the canteen's timber cladding and colouring is a nod to the Dulwich Estate's modernist architecture on the other side of the site).

It may appear discreet, but big round openings and a series of canopies that make it look like a just-opened box about to reveal its present inside hint at its unexpected and enticing nature. Stepping inside, a riot of colour and playfulness unfolds.

Inspired by the gallery's famous paintings (the aforementioned bridge and clouds are part of the plan), a cruciform main interior has been designed by artistic duo Sarah Marsh and Stephanie Jefferies of HLD Collective as a rich, sensory play experience for children up to eight years old. Slides, swings, ball games and a wind tunnel are part of the immersive space, which is arranged around four themes (sunlight, water, wind, and earth) and will be available to book from 6 September – with dedicated days available free for local community groups.

Andy Groarke, co-founder at Carmody Groarke, says: 'The circular windows meet you straight on. The point was to make an intervention to create more engagement with the art. We also wanted it to extend out. The canopies reach out, something that the old building doesn't quite do.'

The architecture team also ensured the building is sensitive and sustainable, using locally sourced and milled Douglas fir from the UK for its wood architecture, as well as natural ventilation techniques (a central operable skylight brings in plenty of light and air) and a ground source heat pump.

If all this is not enough to tickle your fancy, an outdoor slide – an interactive, fully functional artpiece by Harold Offeh, titled Hail the New Prophet – is set to draw visitors of all ages, blending contemporary art and quirky fun.

'We wanted to bring a sense of playfulness and to open our art to everyone,' say Jennifer Scott, director of the gallery, which was founded back in 1811. 'That quirkiness is in our DNA – we are the world's first purpose-built public art gallery.'

The ArtPlay Pavilion comes with a new entrance to the gallery grounds to facilitate circulation for the families and other visitors, including school groups, set to book and use the new and old structures and the reworked (and free to access) wider grounds from this autumn. The grounds include a new Sculpture Garden featuring a wealth of new artworks, such as an undulating piece by landscape artist Kim Wilkie in the Lavington Sculpture Meadow, where an unloved hedge row and storage space used to be.

The new ArtPlay Pavilion and Sculpture Garden offer plenty of reasons to visit what is the biggest redevelopment at the Dulwich Picture Gallery in over 20 years. And now there's no excuse not to take the family with you.

dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk