Render of NOW Gallery Photo via: FAD website
Render of NOW Gallery Photo via: FAD website

A new gallery on London’s Greenwich Peninsula is opening next Friday as part of a major redevelopment project in South East London, funded by the Hong Kong company Knight Dragon, the Art Newspaper reports. The regeneration plans for the area also include the construction of 10,000 new homes and a commercial district.

The 130 sq. m NOW Gallery is housed within two buildings designed by Marks Barfield, the architects behind the London Eye, the famous giant Ferris wheel that has become London’s most popular touristic attraction, attracting 3.5 million visitors annually. The gallery’s program has put a great emphasis on contemporary design, and will show new commissions by both artists and designers every three months.

The opening show, which will coincide with the London Design Festival, is dedicated to the Dutch designer Simon Heijdens. For the first show at NOW Gallery, Heijdens has coated the 7m long gallery window with an “intelligent skin”, comprising 1,920 triangular cells that react to the weather. These small panels create a kaleidoscope of light and shadow, bringing the outdoor elements into the indoor space.

“Using cutting-edge technology, Heijdens will animate the gallery space through clever manipulation of sunlight and the prevalent Greenwich Peninsula wind,” said the NOW Gallery team.