Pace, the New York based international gallery, is all set to occupy the Sir David Chipperfield redesigned west wing of the Royal Academy’s Burlington Gardens building in London.

Pace will occupy the 9,000 sq ft space that was the Museum of Mankind and was recently occupied by the Haunch of Venison during the refurbishment of its gallery off Bond Street.

The announcement comes after what the RA called “a rigorous tendering process”. Pace’s staging of free public exhibitions will run alongside the RA’s own programmes in the building.

Six Burlington Gardens is one of the most significant high Victorian buildings in central London. It was designed by Sir James Pennethorne for the University of London in the 1860s. The RA has owned the building since 2001 and now, the architect David Chipperfield will renovate and redecorate it.

Marc Glimcher, Pace’s president, exclaimed the gallery was elated that it could take up residence “in the heart of Mayfair and at the crossroads of the international art world”.

He proclaimed, “Pace’s expanded presence means we can reach the global audience that converges in London, from curators to collectors, but most importantly it enables us to better support our artists based in Europe and present the work of important American artists in London, in some cases for the first time in decades.”

On the other hand, the Royal Academy has welcomed Pace wholeheartedly. The Royal Academy is delighted to welcome Pace at this exciting time when we are re-occupying 6 Burlington Gardens and preparing an expanded programme of contemporary art, architecture and debate,” said Charles Saumarez Smith, the RA’s secretary and chief executive.

The first show, Rothko/Sugimoto: Dark Paintings and Seascapes, that will open just before the Frieze art fair in October and display the US artist Mark Rothko’s late black and grey painting and Hiroshi Sugimoto’s photographs of the horizon line where sea meets sky.

Pace’s operations in London will be led by Mollie Dent-Brocklehurst, the former curator of exhibitions at the Garage centre for contemporary art in Moscow.

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