Established in 1977, the Yorkshire Sculpture Park has pioneered the practice of curating temporary exhibitions in the open air.  The brief for the new Gallery was to create a series of indoor gallery spaces that would be capable of accommodating large and small sculptures, works on paper, and other media including light and video, and to extend the opportunities for exhibiting works in more sensitive materials.

A priority was to ensure that this new building, designed by the Feilden Clegg Bradley architectural practice, would be a sensitive intervention in the historic landscape. The solution reached was to tuck the Gallery under the sloping lawn of the 18th century Bothy Garden, a much-loved part of the Sculpture Park, with extensive views over the Bretton Estate. 

Three light-filled gallery spaces have been simply defined by concrete, glass, Yorkshire sandstone and steel; wherever possible sustainable materials and methods have been used. The building is cleanly cut into the slope of the Bothy Garden and has a turf roof. This careful positioning and skilful landscape detailing, by Land Use Consultants, means that views across the landscape from the Bothy buildings can still be enjoyed. Extending the design of the YSP Centre, the gallery follows the line of the 18th century formal terrace. The project shows how a contemporary building can successfully work within a historic setting.

Artists and sculptors were consulted to gain a thorough understanding of what they wanted from a gallery space, resulting in a gallery which can accommodate both large and small scale sculptures, as well as works using a variety of media such as paper, light and video. The Gallery’s environmental strategy is based on the principles of passive control: maintaining a stable temperature without the need for air conditioning.

The Underground Gallery was commissioned in April 2003 and was completed in December 2004 at a cost of £2.75 million, funded by the European Regional Development Fund and Yorkshire Forward.

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