This small building on a plot measuring 7.5 mx 30.5 m has 8 floors in height: a double-height hall at street level with a sculpture terrace overlooking the park behind the building, choirs and overhead lighting, then three more tiers of halls, the sixth and the seventh floors are occupied by administrative premises, the eighth is the library. The works of art are stored in the basement, and the technical floor completes the construction.
All this would be very modest, if not for a technical innovation that partially solves the problem of lack of exhibition space, which is natural for such a small building. From the side of the main facade from the second to the fifth floor there is an "elevator", in fact - an additional hall with an area of 21 m2. It faces the inside of the building, and from the outside, through the frosted glass of the facade, its back wall made of bright red metal is clearly visible. It has a very low speed, which should oppose its movement to the traffic rushing along the street. It plays the role of an elevator with works of art exhibited there, but if you need to increase the area of one of the floors, it can be “parked” there, turning it into a natural extension of the gallery space. The building has another, ordinary elevator and stairs, so this will not create any inconvenience.
The Sperone Westwater project is also interesting because it is clearly the work of Norman Foster "for himself." As the owners of this gallery say, he took it under the influence of the moment, having learned about the lack of space in the old building. This completely non-status building probably gave him the opportunity to engage in pure creativity, without regard to politics and economics - after all, this is exactly what Foster aspired to, transferring the management of his bureau to the board of directors in 2007.
