In the South African context, both the public art museum and commercial art gallery have retained a level of framed separation from the urban context. By drawing comparisons between international and local examples, and a direct comparison between two commercial galleries, Circa on Jellicoe in Johannesburg and Gallery on Leviseur in Bloemfontein, I argue for the value of the re-framing of the art gallery as a place within the city. I explore the concept of threshold between depiction and reality, interior and exterior, and exhibition space and city. Case study art galleries are read through the lens provided by depictions of urban settings and public sculptures. Edward Casey’s definition of boundary as pliable and porous, distinct from the restrictive edge of a border, further establishes the foundation. Both these definitions require consideration when viewing urban thresholds as it relates to museum interventions. This paper aims to address the porous border between an art institution and the environment in which it is placed, and the relevance of architecture in this regard.