The gallery is situated on the south side of the River Calder and takes its name from artist and sculptor Barbara Hepworth who was born and educated in the city.

Yorkshire Forward, the Homes and Communities Agency, and the European Regional Development Fund have also supported the building of the gallery alongside a number of charitable trusts, corporations and private individuals.

[7] The Hepworth Wakefield is a structure composed of ten trapezoidal blocks; its upper-level galleries are lit by natural light from large windows in the pitched roofs.

[9][12] The gallery is a partner of Plus Tate, a project aimed at increasing public access to the national collection of British and international modern and contemporary art.

The "Tim Sayer Bequest" includes pieces by David Hockney, Gerhard Richter, Henry Moore, Alexander Calder and Bridget Riley, and has been hailed as one of the most generous of its kind.