The entrance to the National Portrait Gallery will soon point northwards for the first time, more than a century after a philanthropist agreed to fund it on condition that it did not face the fleshpots of Soho and Covent Garden.
William Henry Alexander donated £80,000 to the gallery, which was officially opened in its present West End location in 1896 with an east-facing entrance.
Yet if the risk of easy access to the sinful pleasures of two of London’s most notorious districts has diminished, there are now concerns that creating a new concourse and renovating the plaza outside will attract “floating Yodas” that will deter visitors.
