Smithsonian Plans First Foreign Foray With London Gallery

The Smithsonian Institution announced plans Tuesday for a 40,000-square-foot exhibition space in London that would be the 168-year-old museum and research complex’s first permanent outpost outside the United States, reports The New York Times. The proposed gallery would be part of a cultural quarter being developed at the East London site of the 2012 Olympics.

Smithsonian officials said no U.S. government funds would go into the British project. London authorities pledged to raise $50-million for construction, slated to be finished in 2021, and annual operating costs would be covered by private donors and admission fees for special exhibitions. Albert Horvath, the Smithsonian’s acting secretary, said the expansion jibes with the institution’s efforts to reach new audiences. Smithsonian regents approved exploring the London satellite on Monday, and a final decision is expected later this year.