Tate Modern

Tate Modern

Since 2000, Tate Modern has made its home in the former Bankside Power Station, a striking brick structure designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, who also created Battersea Power Station. Built between 1947 and 1963, the power station is located on the south bank of the Thames, opposite St. Paul’s Cathedral. After its closure in 1981, the building was at risk of demolition, but in 1994, Tate announced it would be transformed into a new gallery. Herzog & de Meuron won the redesign competition, and the £134 million conversion project started in 1995, finishing five years later.

The transformation kept much of the original structure intact, including the vast Turbine Hall, a dramatic space still fitted with its overhead crane. The most noticeable change was the addition of a two-story glass extension on the roof. While Tate took over the northern Boiler House for exhibition spaces, part of the building remained an active substation for EDF Energy. The impressive conversion of the old industrial site into a modern art gallery inspired a 2008 documentary, *Architects Herzog and de Meuron: Alchemy of Building & Tate Modern*. The Queen officially opened Tate Modern on May 11, 2000, and it quickly became a sensation, attracting 5.25 million visitors in its first year—double the attendance at Tate’s other galleries combined.

As the gallery’s popularity soared, expansion plans were drawn up in 2004. These focused on the southern part of the building and aimed to add 5,000 square meters of display space. In 2006, EDF Energy released half of its area, allowing the gallery to expand with a new tower above the old oil storage tanks. The project, again led by Herzog & de Meuron, was ambitious, with a total cost of £215 million. Funding came from various sources, including £50 million from the UK government and £10 million from philanthropist Eyal Ofer. The tower was built above the tanks and converted into unique performance art spaces. Tate described it as the world’s first museum gallery dedicated to live art.

The new ten-story tower, known as the Switch House, opened to the public in June 2016, adding 22,492 square meters of space for exhibitions, performances, and education. The design, a sloping brick latticework, initially caused some controversy but ultimately complemented the original industrial style of the power station. A bridge on level 4 connects the new tower to the main building, while the Turbine Hall remains a central feature, with its towering six-story height and impressive scale.

In 2017, the Switch House was renamed the Blavatnik Building to recognise billionaire Sir Leonard Blavatnik’s significant financial support for the project. Today, Tate Modern houses a world-class international modern and contemporary art collection. The Boiler House focuses on works from 1900 to the present, while the Blavatnik Building showcases art from 1960 onwards, making Tate Modern one of the world’s most exciting contemporary art museums.