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Sainsbury family donates £25m to British Museum | |
(2 days later) | |
Two charitable trusts established by the Sainsbury family have donated £25m to the British Museum in what is thought to be one of the biggest gifts to the arts for two decades. | |
The Linbury Trust, established by Conservative peer Lord Sainsbury of Preston Candover in the 1970s, will pay £12.5m to the museum over the next three years. | |
A further £12.5 million will come from the Monument Trust established by Lord Sainsbury's late brother Simon. | |
The money will go towards a major redevelopment of the London museum's facilities, helping fund a new World Conservation and Exhibitions Centre. | |
A spokeswoman for the museum described the donations as "incredibly generous". The gift was a vital part of a project which would "benefit future generations". | |
"This is an incredibly important project for the British Museum and has been planned for a long time," the spokeswoman added. | "This is an incredibly important project for the British Museum and has been planned for a long time," the spokeswoman added. |
£125m project | £125m project |
Donations from other private donors and a £22.5m government grant are also being used to fund the project, which will feature a conservation and science centre. | Donations from other private donors and a £22.5m government grant are also being used to fund the project, which will feature a conservation and science centre. |
The centre, which will cost more than £125m, will include a gallery to house temporary collections which can compete with other UK and international institutions. | The centre, which will cost more than £125m, will include a gallery to house temporary collections which can compete with other UK and international institutions. |
Planning permission for the centre was granted by Camden Council in October 2009. | Planning permission for the centre was granted by Camden Council in October 2009. |
The building will be made of glass and traditional stone, which the museum says will blend well with its Grade I listed surroundings. | The building will be made of glass and traditional stone, which the museum says will blend well with its Grade I listed surroundings. |
The exhibition main space will be more than 1,000 sq m (10,764 sq ft), large enough to accommodate big temporary exhibitions such as the 2007 display of Chinese terracotta warriors. | The exhibition main space will be more than 1,000 sq m (10,764 sq ft), large enough to accommodate big temporary exhibitions such as the 2007 display of Chinese terracotta warriors. |
Until now these have been held in the Reading Room, resulting in controversy because the historic surroundings were obscured. | Until now these have been held in the Reading Room, resulting in controversy because the historic surroundings were obscured. |
New science laboratories will be built in the centre in which exhibits can be researched and restored. | New science laboratories will be built in the centre in which exhibits can be researched and restored. |
State of the art machinery will be installed to study artefacts in forensic detail. | State of the art machinery will be installed to study artefacts in forensic detail. |
The gift comes at a time when many cultural organisations are facing a funding squeeze amid financial cutbacks. | The gift comes at a time when many cultural organisations are facing a funding squeeze amid financial cutbacks. |
In 1985, Lord Sainsbury and his brothers The Hon Simon Sainsbury and Sir Timothy Sainsbury financed the construction of the Sainsbury Wing at the National Gallery, which cost a total of about £50m and opened in 1991. | |
Lord Sainsbury's other donations have included £10m for a recent renovation of Oxford's Ashmolean Museum and money for the Linbury studio theatre at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. | |
Correction 14 September 2010: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that the full £25m had been donated by Lord Sainsbury. |