New Tate Modern Opens Tomorrow in London

This new building designed by Herzog & de Meuron will transform Tate Modern. It will redefine the contemporary art museum for the twenty first century, placing artists and their art at its centre while fully integrating the display, learning and social functions of the museum, and strengthening links between the museum, its community and the City.

An iconic new building will be added at the south of the existing Tate Gallery. It will create more spaces for displaying the collection, performance and installation art and learning, all allowing visitors to engage more deeply with art, as well as creating more social spaces for visitors to unwind and relax in the gallery.

Why?

The British museum was designed for an annual audience of 2 million visitors, however, it now receives around 5 million visitors each year. This success has put pressure on the existing facilities and programme and, therefore, more space was needed.

The Tate Modern London

The expansion will create a less congested, more welcoming environment at the contemporay art museum. The Tate Modern exhibitions and displays space will be almost doubled, enabling to show more of Tate Gallery’s Collection. There will be more cafés, terraces and concourses in which to meet and unwind. Learning will be at the heart of the new Tate Modern, reflecting Tate’s commitment to increasing public knowledge and understanding of art. There will be a range of new facilities throughout the building for deeper engagement with art: interpretation, discussion, private study, participation, workshops and practice based learning.

The new Tate London will continue to bolster the growth of the borough. A public walkway through the building will make possible a direct route from the City to the heart of Southwark. There will be two new public squares to the south and west of the building. To the east, a new planted area will be created especially for the use of the local community and staff.