New Gallery
A Grade II listed building on Regent Street in London that has served as an art gallery, restaurant, cinema, church, furniture store, and retail flagship.
Last updated August 25, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
New Gallery is a historic building at 121 Regent Street in London, England. It was established in 1888 as an independent art gallery by J. Comyns Carr and Charles Edward Hallé, former co-directors of the Grosvenor Gallery. The institution was conceived in the artistic and cultural environment of late-Victorian London and continued many of the Grosvenor Gallery's interests, particularly the promotion of Pre-Raphaelite, Aesthetic movement, and related contemporary artists. The building was designed by Edward Robert Robson and constructed in slightly more than three months so that it could open during the summer exhibition season of 1888. Built on the site of a former fruit market, its interior used marble-clad cast-iron columns, gilded Greek capitals, and decorative platinum-leaf surfaces to create an ornate architectural setting for exhibitions. The main galleries displayed oil paintings, while the central hall and surrounding balcony accommodated sculpture, watercolours, etchings, drawings, and smaller works. The gallery's opening exhibition benefited from the participation and support of prominent artists. Edward Burne-Jones served on its consulting committee and lent three major paintings, while Lawrence Alma-Tadema and William Holman Hunt also joined the committee. George Frederic Watts and Frederic Leighton were among the artists associated with the venue. The first private view took place on 8 May 1888, followed by the public opening on 9 May. The event attracted substantial social and artistic attention, including the attendance of former prime minister William Ewart Gladstone. New Gallery became an important London venue for the Arts and Crafts movement. In late 1888 it hosted the first exhibition of industrial and applied art organized by the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society under Walter Crane. The society's later exhibitions at the building helped establish it as a recurring platform for contemporary decorative arts. Other notable events included a 1890 exhibition of Tudor portraits and historical objects held under the auspices of Queen Victoria, a major Burne-Jones retrospective in 1892–93, and a memorial exhibition of Burne-Jones's work in 1898. In 1893 the gallery also displayed four panels later associated with Masaccio's Pisa Polyptych. The original gallery operation ended after more than two decades. In 1910 the premises were converted into the New Gallery Restaurant, and in January 1913 they were converted again, this time into a cinema. The cinema was enlarged and altered in 1925, when a Wurlitzer organ was installed. In 1938 it hosted the United Kingdom presentation of Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, described in contemporary accounts as the first full-length animated cartoon shown in the country. After the Second World War, the cinema faced commercial difficulties, partly because its location was somewhat outside the main West End cinema concentration. Gaumont British Theatres subsequently sold the lease to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The building functioned primarily as a church from 1953 until the early 1990s, although it was also occasionally used for religious film screenings. It then stood empty for more than a decade. In 1992 it received Grade II listed status, recognizing its architectural and historical importance. The building returned to commercial use in 2006 as a Habitat furniture store. Habitat surrendered its lease in March 2011. After further redevelopment and preparation, the premises became a Burberry flagship store in September 2012. The building therefore remains active, but its current use is retail rather than independent cultural programming. It is owned by The Crown Estate and is best understood as a historically significant London property whose identity has changed repeatedly across the cultural, entertainment, religious, and retail sectors.
History
New Gallery was founded in 1888 by J. Comyns Carr and Charles Edward Hallé, who had previously served as co-directors of Sir Coutts Lindsay's Grosvenor Gallery. They left that institution in 1887 and established a new venue on Regent Street. The building was designed by Edward Robert Robson and erected in a very short period to allow an opening during the 1888 summer exhibition season. The site had previously been occupied by a fruit market. To give the interior an imposing gallery character, existing cast-iron roof supports were enclosed in marble and finished with gilded Greek capitals. Platinum leaf was applied to elements of the architrave, frieze, and cornices. The ground-floor West and North Galleries were used for oil paintings, while the balcony around the central hall displayed smaller paintings, watercolours, etchings, and drawings. Sculpture occupied the central hall. The venue quickly attracted leading figures associated with late-Victorian art. Edward Burne-Jones supported the project, joined its consulting committee, and lent three large oil paintings for the opening exhibition. Lawrence Alma-Tadema and William Holman Hunt were also members of the committee, while artists including George Frederic Watts and Frederic Leighton became associated with the gallery. A private view was held on 8 May 1888, and the public opening followed on 9 May. The event drew considerable public and social interest. New Gallery continued the Grosvenor Gallery's broad artistic ideals and became particularly important for Pre-Raphaelite and Aesthetic movement artists. It also played a major role in the development of the Arts and Crafts exhibition circuit. In October and November 1888, the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society held its first exhibition of industrial and applied art at the venue under the direction of its founding president, Walter Crane. The society subsequently returned for further exhibitions, making New Gallery an important London showcase for contemporary decorative arts. The exhibition program also included historically and artistically significant presentations. In 1890 the venue held an exhibition of Tudor portraits and relics under the auspices of Queen Victoria. It mounted a major Burne-Jones retrospective in 1892–93 and a memorial exhibition of his work in 1898. In 1893 four panels by Masaccio were exhibited for the first time; they were later attributed to the Pisa Polyptych and are now associated with the Staatliche Museen in Berlin. Carr continued as a co-director until 1908, and the Arts and Crafts Exhibition of 1910 was the final such exhibition held at New Gallery. The building then moved through several distinct commercial and institutional phases. In 1910 it was converted into the New Gallery Restaurant. In January 1913 the interior was altered again for use as a cinema. Further enlargement and modernization took place in 1925, including the installation of a Wurlitzer organ. The cinema hosted the United Kingdom presentation of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1938. Following the Second World War, the cinema encountered difficulties, partly because it was located slightly away from the main West End concentration of cinemas. Gaumont British Theatres eventually sold the lease to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. From 1953 through the early 1990s, the building was primarily used for church activities, although religious films were sometimes shown there. The premises later remained vacant for more than ten years. In 1992 the building was designated Grade II listed. It returned to commercial activity in 2006 when Habitat opened a furniture store. Habitat surrendered the lease in March 2011, and after a period of transition the building became a Burberry flagship store in September 2012. The Crown Estate owns the property. Although the original art gallery no longer operates, the building's successive uses illustrate the adaptive reuse of a prominent historic structure in central London.
- 2012
Burberry flagship store opens
[1]The property became a Burberry flagship retail store in September.
- 2011
Habitat surrenders the lease
[1]Habitat ended its occupation of the premises in March.
- 2006
Habitat furniture store opens
[1]The building returned to use after a long vacancy as a Habitat store.
- 1992
Grade II listing
[1]New Gallery was designated a Grade II listed building.
- 1953
Building becomes a Seventh-day Adventist church
[1]The church acquired the lease after the cinema's postwar commercial decline.
- 1938
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs shown in the United Kingdom
[1]The cinema hosted the UK showing of the first full-length animated cartoon identified in the reference material.
- 1925
Cinema enlargement and Wurlitzer installation
[1]The cinema was enlarged and modified, including the installation of a Wurlitzer organ.
- 1913
Cinema conversion
[1]The premises were converted into a cinema in January 1913.
- 1910
Gallery is converted into a restaurant
[1]The original gallery use ended and the building became the New Gallery Restaurant.
- 1898
Burne-Jones memorial exhibition
[1]A memorial exhibition of Burne-Jones's work was held at the gallery.
Products and positioning
A historically significant, adaptive-reuse cultural and commercial building in central London
Art exhibition venue · 1888
Fine-art exhibitions
During its original period from 1888 to 1910, New Gallery presented oil paintings, sculpture, watercolours, etchings, and drawings. Its program was closely associated with Pre-Raphaelite and Aesthetic movement artists and included prominent exhibitions devoted to Edward Burne-Jones and historical works.
Decorative arts exhibition · 1888
Arts and Crafts exhibitions
New Gallery was a recurring venue for exhibitions organized by the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society. These presentations expanded the building's role beyond fine art by displaying industrial, applied, and decorative arts associated with the late-nineteenth-century Arts and Crafts movement.
Restaurant · 1910
New Gallery Restaurant
From 1910 to 1913, the former gallery interior operated as a restaurant. This was the building's first major change from exhibition use before its conversion into a cinema.
Cinema · 1913
New Gallery Cinema
The building operated as a cinema from 1913 to 1953. It was enlarged in 1925 and equipped with a Wurlitzer organ. Its programming included the UK presentation of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1938.
Religious venue · 1953
Seventh-day Adventist church
From 1953 until the early 1990s, the premises were primarily used by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The building occasionally retained a connection with film through religious screenings.
Luxury fashion retail · 2012
Burberry flagship store
Since September 2012, the building has been used as a flagship store for Burberry. This current retail use occupies a structure whose earlier identities included gallery, restaurant, cinema, church, and furniture store.
Brand decisions
2012
Conversion into a Burberry flagship storeStrategyBackground
Following Habitat's departure, the Crown Estate property was prepared for a new commercial tenant.
Action taken
Burberry opened a flagship store at the site in September 2012.
Aftermath
The building continues to operate as a luxury fashion retail location rather than as an independent art gallery.
2006
Return to commercial occupancy as a furniture storeStrategyBackground
The property had remained empty for more than ten years after its period as a church.
Action taken
Habitat occupied the premises and opened a furniture store.
Aftermath
Habitat surrendered the lease in March 2011.
1953
Lease transferred to the Seventh-day Adventist ChurchStrategyBackground
The cinema struggled after the Second World War, in part because its location was slightly outside the main West End cinema area.
Action taken
Gaumont British Theatres sold the lease to the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Aftermath
The building served primarily as a church through the early 1990s.
1913
Conversion to cinemaStrategyBackground
The building changed function again after its short period as a restaurant.
Action taken
The premises were remodeled and opened as the New Gallery Cinema.
Aftermath
The cinema remained in operation until 1953 and was enlarged in 1925.
1910
Conversion from art gallery to restaurantStrategyBackground
After more than two decades as an exhibition venue, the building's original gallery operation came to an end.
Action taken
The interior was converted for use as the New Gallery Restaurant.
Aftermath
The restaurant use lasted until a further conversion into a cinema in January 1913.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/new-gallery · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled