Cork St and its ally at the RA

Royal Academy chief executive Charles Saumarez Smith wants an arcade to be built between Cork Street and Old Burlington Street as part of the campaign to save Cork Street’s art galleries from redevelopment.

At the launch of Charles Landry’s book RA Now, Culture and Commerce: The Royal Academy & Mayfair, Saumarez Smith said: “We want to preserve Cork Street for the art world with the RA at the centre of the art business. We don’t want fashion houses and hedge funds to elbow out art galleries.”

Landry added: “There are only about 10 such areas in the world,” said Landry. “I’m confident Mayfair will remain a centre of the art world.”