David Zwirner Gallery plans big moves in London, New York

New York powerhouse gallery David Zwirner is expanding to London, it was officially announced in a press release dated Mar 13. Often compared to the multinational Gagosian Gallery and London’s White Cube in terms of commercial influence and clout, Zwirner had focused most of its expansion to date on a single block of Manhattan, building up three locations on West 19th St in Chelsea. But now the gallery is establishing a prominent beachhead in the European market, taking over an 18th-century Georgian townhouse in London’s Mayfair district. Located at 24 Grafton St, the new address was formerly home to residents including Lord Robert Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury and three-time Prime Minister of Britain, and the self-made cosmetics magnate Helena Rubinstein, as well as a private bank. Architect Annabelle Selldorf is overseeing a gut renovation of the five-story building, with primary exhibition spaces on three levels, and almost 10000-sqf of space. The gallery is on track to open during the Frieze Art Fair in October of this year, and will be inaugurated with an exhibition of paintings by Luc Tuymans, the artist’s first solo show in London since a 2004 retrospective at Tate Modern.

Zwirner’s expansion comes on the heels of the development by White Cube of a massive venue on Bermondsey Street in October 2011, complementing preexisting spaces in Hoxton Square and Mason’s Yard. And it would seem that indeed not only in London but also in New York, Zwirner is eager to join the ranks of dealers operating institutional-scale programs, as he is also preparing a new 30000-sqf, five-story exhibition and project space on West 20th St in Chelsea, also scheduled for unveiling in fall 2012 and designed by Annabelle Selldorf. The gallery press release describes the new space as a site for large-scale presentations by the gallery’s roster of Minimalist artists and for thematic, historical surveys of work by modern and contemporary masters.

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