Annabelle Selldorf on London Parks and Old Masters

Frieze Masters Which building in London do you find yourself returning to again and again?

Annabelle Selldorf The National Gallery. We just completed a project there, so I’ve been immersed in the plans and the art. It’s become a bit of a companion to me. The building is expansive, yet not overwhelming. It invites different ways of moving through space – I try to explore it anew each time. I also love how the rehung galleries offer a fresh perspective.

FM Is there a work in the collection that you return to?

AS There are many, but two come to mind immediately. One is Jan van Eyck’s Portrait of a Man [1433], which is small but so intense. If you’ve seen it once, you want to see it again and again – the expression of the man in the portrait is engaging, while the red turban adds a kind of mystery. Another painting I like is The Horse Fair [1855] by Rosa Bonheur – a completely different subject matter, scale and energy, but compelling for me because of the incredible movement and distilled dynamic.

There are so many paintings I like to return to; for instance, I’m also drawn to the mysterious and provocative Portrait of a Woman [c.1530–33] by Lorenzo Lotto. Visiting the gallery frequently, I remind myself to discover things afresh and not to always return to the same paintings.

FM Can you describe how your experience of viewing art influences your design process?

AS It’s never a linear process. Architecture, for me, is about distilling all kinds of circumstances – programmatic, spatial, emotional – into something coherent. I often say I only have one idea at a time, and fear that I bring that same idea to all my projects, though, of course, ideas morph depending on the context. Inspirations accumulate from different places: sometimes visual, sometimes experiential.

FM Outside London, is there a museum or building that you find especially inspiring?

AS There are too many to name just one. I’ve always been fascinated by the work of Louis Kahn, especially the two museums he designed in New Haven: the Yale University Art Gallery and the Yale Center for British Art. The way he uses light and space so differently, yet with such a clear sensibility, is remarkable. I’m also deeply moved by the Kröller-Müller Museum in Otterlo, Netherlands, and the Louisiana Museum near Copenhagen – both offer a direct relationship between architecture, art and nature.

FM Do you have a favourite park or green space in London?

AS Yes, Hyde Park! When I’m in London, I often stay in Notting Hill, and while working on the National Gallery renovation I would walk all the way to the museum through the parks – it takes over an hour. It’s an incredible experience. The way parks are integrated into everyday life in London is very special. There is an entire landscape to enjoy across the city: large lawns, big trees, places to sit, ponds with ducks and swans, monuments and more. In New York, we have Central Park – which is a great park – but it’s not quite the same size.

FM Is there a contemporary artist or maker – perhaps someone London-based – whose work you’re drawn to?

AS Hélène Binet, the photographer, comes to mind. She is an artist with a deliberate vision which she often trains on architecture. I’ve admired her work for a long time and recently invited her to photograph the Frick Collection in New York, which reopened only a month before the National Gallery. She has an extraordinary ability to look at architecture and distil something new – always attentive to light and composition. She still shoots on film and that brings a unique depth to her images.

FM Has there been a recent discovery – book, object, place – that’s brought you joy or reflection?

AS Right now, I’m in Maine, on an island with no shops, roads or people. It’s not a moment of delight, exactly, but of reprieve. Being surrounded only by nature reminds me of how small we are in the face of the seasons and climate change. It helps me put life – and time – into perspective.

FM Is there a dream or unrealized project you often think about?

AS Rather than a specific project, what I value most are opportunities where true dialogue is possible. I’m slow – I come up with ideas slowly, and usually only one at a time. I’m not interested in grand gestures. What matters to me is having the space to think, to experiment, and to not be so rock-certain. Architecture takes time. The dream is simply to keep finding partners who make room for that.

FM What do you love most about Frieze Masters?

AS Frieze Masters is unique. The fair invites curiosity and resists purely commercial interactions. I love that you can encounter everything from Oceanic art to overlooked drawings by lesser-known women artists. It’s a place of simultaneity and discovery. When we worked on the Sainsbury Wing, the aim wasn’t to impress with grandeur, but to create something inviting and generous – and I think Frieze does that brilliantly.

This article first appeared in Frieze Masters magazine 2025 under the title ‘Questionnaire: Annabelle Selldorf’.

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^{Main image: Front of the National Gallery © The National Gallery, London.}