1. Built 1888. 2001.06.20.RCAHMW/SLE

Built in 1888 by Edwin Seward, Cardiff architect, for James Pyke Thompson as a gatehouse to Thompsons house with a first floor gallery for Thompsons art collection, and so named after the painter JMW Turner. In 1897 the building became part of the National Museum of Wales, and in the 1940s comprehensive alterations included the moving of the entrance, rebuilding beneath the central arch and re-ordering of the interior.

The building is constructed of red brick with moulded brick string courses and dentil course, and with red sandstone detailing in an Italianate early Renaissance style. the roof is red tiled with a longtitudinal light.
The centre bay projects forward of those to either side and is arched with a plain semi-circular panel with the painted inscription 'Turner House Gallery'. Over this is a pediemt with a grotesque face and swags, while the arch piers have paired pilasters flanking candelabrum reliefs which represent Ruskins' "lamp of truth". The first floor has further panels to either side of the arch originally decorated with sgraffito work.
on the ground floor between the piers is a large multi-paned window, while to the left of the central bay is a moulded brick doorcase with panelled doors. to the right of the central bay there is a mullioned and transomed window with a moulded brick architrave and painted surround.
The left elevation has two small lunette windows with keystones to the arches, while there are two further multi-paned windows with shallow, moulded brick architraves on the first floor.The right elelvation has no openings but has first floor corbelled pilasteres seperated by panelled decoration in moulded brick on the former chimney breast. The rear elevation has a corbelled, mult-pane rectangular bay window on the first floor with blocked windows on the ground floor.

The interior dates largely from the 1940's. Previously had ground floor living accommodation with an open gallery on the first floor. There is an entrance hall with a wooden staircase, to the right of which is the lower gallery (modernised). the upper gallery is treated as a continuous balcony with the lower gallery and has a 1940's wrought iron balustrade. There is an open roof of five bays with a Renaissance style freize to the roof light. There are also two renaissance style doorcases decorated with scrolled pediments and swags, between which is a recess.
(CADW Listing Description) S Fielding RCAHMW 04/05/2005