Located in the former Bankside Power Station (directly opposite St Paul’s Cathedral), the Tate Modern is Britain’s most prestigious gallery of modern art. Its world-renowned collection spans work dating from 1900 to the present day and it stands as one of the largest museums of modern and contemporary art in the world.
The Bankside Power Station was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott and constructed between 1947 and 1963 before being redeveloped as the Tate Modern in the 1990s. Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron were the architects behind its reincarnation, adding a two-story glass extension on the roof while retaining the cavernous main Turbine Hall and the northern Boiler House.
Spanning five stories in height, the Turbine Hall is used to display large-scale works and installations, as well as rotating exhibitions and special events. The Switch House has eleven floors, with some of its spaces converted from the pow-er station’s original fuel oil tanks on the bottom floor. Art from 1960 to the present day to the present day is displayed here, together with rotating temporary exhibitions.
In addition to the Tate Modern’s themed gallery spaces that display both British and international artworks, the museum also features a large performance space and an auditorium where films are often screen. It’s also home to the Clore Edu-cation Centre and a shop selling art books and other merchandise. There’s an on-site cafe, restaurant and bar where you can grab refreshments while the Tate Modern community garden grows its own fresh produce.