Monday 19 September 2016

Tate Modern Switch House

The Tate Modern opened in 2000 and quickly became one of London's most important cultural attractions. This year in June we welcomed the opening of the much awaited new building The Switch House. The new extension has added an extra 60% of gallery space for visitors to explore. Designed by Herzog & de Meuron, the architects behind the original Tate building, the new structure is shaped like a pyramid twisting as it rises. The latticed clad brick work brings in natural light while helping the extension match the exterior of the original, seamlessly linking the two buildings.


View from the South
Images: Haye Davidson and Herzog & de Meuron


Beginning on Level 0, "The Tanks" is a space dedicated to film, installations and live interactive performance art. One used to store oil, these large circular concrete spaces are large in scale, raw and industrial. 



Pictured below is Seance de Shadow II (bleu) 1998 by Dominque Gonzalez-Foerster. The installation is activated when visitors engage with the space. 


The BMW Live: Active Sculpture gallery is pictured below. Here, all of the sculptures are activated by interaction. 


Pictured above; Robert Morris' Untitled 1965, reconstructed 1971.

"As the viewer walks around the four cubes, their mirrored surfaces produce complex and shifting interactions between gallery and spectator."


On Level 0, visitors are first confronted by the main staircase in all it's curved beauty. 



View down into the tanks


Seating areas around the concrete circulation spaces. 


The concrete curves continue through the levels and latticed brick exterior can we seen from the inside windows offering amazing shadows and bright, natural light. 


The new roof terrace offers stunning panoramic views of the city. 





Tate Modern
Bankside London SE1 9TG
Open from 10am
Entry is Free



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