Sainsbury Centre for the Visual Arts

Norwich

The Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts is an inspirational public art museum, at the University of East Anglia (UEA), a short distance from Norwich city centre.

Opened in 1978, the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts was Sir Norman Foster’s first major public building. He was approached by Sir Robert and Lady Sainsbury to design an appropriate building to house both the collection which they had gifted to the University in 1973 and the School of Fine Art (now the School of World Art Studies and Museology). Located on a sloping east-west site close to the River Yare at the edge of the campus, the building consists of the Living Area, which houses the permanent display of the Robert and Lisa Sainsbury Collection; a temporary exhibition space; the entrance Conservatory, with a gallery café; the School of World Art Studies and Museology; a large public restaurant; the Robert Sainsbury Library and two mezzanines.

Refurbishment works to the centre have now been completed which included the installation of a bespoke 1000kg capacity ‘scenic’ direct acting (with borehole) hydraulic vertical lifting platform and the upgrade and refurbishment to two existing hydraulic passenger lifts.