The first gallery space visitors encounter in the new arts wing is a “black box” room without any natural light, which is ideal for video and film installations.

Walking down the ramp further into the ground floor of the arts wing, visitors come to our largest gallery space, which features three main walls and a series of six doorways onto a tall, two-storey cloister. The doorways, constructed of painted brick referencing the older parts of the Bluecoat’s architecture. Natural light filters into the large galley through french windows in the cloister which open onto our celebrated garden.

The third gallery on the ground floor at the rear of the wing looks out onto Church Lane through three large floor-to-ceiling windows and a glass door. Significantly, this gallery is the most visible and public space of the arts wing.

The final gallery, located on the first floor at the rear of the wing, accessible by stairs and lift, is a truly special space. With three sizable box windows projecting about a metre out into Church Lane, the space also receives natural light from a lofty skylight that runs the entire length of the arts wing. The skylight tops a pitched ceiling that emphasizes the verticality of the space and adds a sense of drama to the room. The tall window wall features painted brick construction, and there are three dedicated display walls.