Opened in 2001 and featuring over 1,800 square metres of exhibition space, the Gallery is the permanent home of Sheffield’s unique Metalwork Collection and Ruskin Collection of art and artefacts and plays host to major temporary exhibitions of art, craft, fashion, and design
The building was designed as part of Sheffield’s Heart of the City regeneration project, linking the train station with the city centre. Set into a gentle slope, the glass and concrete exterior is quietly understated and elegant; part of a sleek new look for this old steel city. Inside, natural light creates a calming effect in the main ‘avenue’ of the building, from which the four exhibition spaces are accessed. The rear entrance to the Gallery backs on to the spectacular Winter Garden, one of the largest temperate glasshouses in the UK
Since opening, the Millennium Gallery has welcomed many of the UK’s finest touring exhibitions, including shows from V&A, Tate, and the National Portrait Gallery. Highlights have included The European Design Show, Vivienne Westwood: The Exhibition, Made in Sheffield and Leonardo da Vinci: A Life in Drawing.
The Gallery currently welcomes around 800,000 visitors each year.
