 Following the pedestrianisation of Trafalgar Square , the Gallery is currently engaged in a masterplan to convert the vacated office space on the ground floor into public space . The plan will also fill in disused courtyards and make use of land acquired from the adjoining National Portrait Gallery in St Martin 's Place , which it gave to the National Gallery in exchange for land for its 2000 extension . The first phase , the East Wing Project designed by Jeremy Dixon and Edward Jones , opened to the public in 2004 . This provided a new ground level entrance from Trafalgar Square , named in honour of Sir Paul Getty . The main entrance was also refurbished , and reopened in September 2005 . Possible future projects include a " West Wing Project " roughly symmetrical with the East Wing Project , which would provide a future ground level entrance , and the public opening of some small rooms at the far eastern end of the building acquired as part of the swap with the National Portrait Gallery . This might include a new public staircase in the bow on the eastern façade . No timetable has been announced for these additional projects . 
