 The first suggestion for a National Gallery on Trafalgar Square came from John Nash , who envisaged it on the site of the King 's Mews , while a Parthenon @-@ like building for the Royal Academy would occupy the centre of the square . Economic recession prevented this scheme from being built , but a competition for the Mews site was eventually held in 1831 , for which Nash submitted a design with C. R. Cockerell as his co @-@ architect . Nash 's popularity was waning by this time , however , and the commission was awarded to William Wilkins , who was involved in the selection of the site and submitted some drawings at the last moment . Wilkins had hoped to build a " Temple of the Arts , nurturing contemporary art through historical example " , but the commission was blighted by parsimony and compromise , and the resulting building was deemed a failure on almost all counts . 
