White walls, harsh lighting, edgy urban location: this is the usual checklist for global contemporary art galleries, writes Laura Chesters.
So Austrian gallerist Thaddaeus Ropac’s new London location (top right), which he opened in April and is set in the grand 18th-century surroundings of Dover Street, may come as a surprise.
The building is the former Bishop of Ely’s home – a historic five-floor mansion that was also home of the Albemarle Club in the late 1800s, frequented by the likes of Oscar Wilde and most recently the home of venerable antique furniture dealer Mallett.