Modern Two (Dean Gallery)
Modern Two, formerly the Dean Gallery, in Edinburgh, is one of the two buildings housing the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, one of Scotland's national art galleries. It is operated by the National Galleries of Scotland.
Since its opening it has housed the Paolozzi Gift, a collection of his works given to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in 1994 by Sir Eduardo Paolozzi. It contains a large collection of Dada and Surrealist art and literature, much of which was given by Gabrielle Keiller. It is also used for temporary exhibitions.[1]
The Dean Gallery is twinned with Modern One which lies on the opposite side of Belford Road.
Building history
The building was a replacement for the Orphan Hospital, built 1734 on ground owned by Trinity College Kirk on Leith Wynd in the valley between the High Street and Calton Hill, to make way for the construction of Waverley Station.
The building, known as the Dean Orphanage, was designed by Thomas Hamilton in 1831 and took three years to build. Built in Craigleith stone from the nearby quarry, it is in English Baroque style with classical detail. The towers over the staircases contain chimneys and contribute to the Edinburgh skyline in the west of the city centre. The clock above the entrance comes from the original Orphan Hospital and in turn from the 1764 demolition of the Netherbow Port on the High Street, which formerly separated the High Street from the Canongate.[2]
The building, which is still owned by the City of Edinburgh Council, served as the Dean Education Centre for many decades before conversion to a gallery.
The plot of allotment gardens at the main entrance dates from 1940 when many school grounds were used for such purposes.
Conversion to gallery
The conversion of the building into a gallery was designed by the architect, Terry Farrell. The gallery opened in 1999 opposite the existing Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. In a rebranding exercise in 2011, the buildings were renamed Modern Two and Modern One respectively.
Other information
A selection of works are available to view online.
A free shuttle bus service links the gallery to the city centre galleries.
A small gate on the rear east side of the car park gives access to the Dean Cemetery.
References
- "National Galleries of Scotland - Online Collections". 5 November 2006. Archived from the original on 5 November 2006. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
- Buildings of Scotland: Edinburgh, by Gifford McWilliam and Walker
External links
