Tate Modern is Britain’s national gallery of international modern art forms. It is one of the world’s largest museums of modern and contemporary art. Tate modern was opened to public in 2000. Now Tate Modern is the most visited modern art museum in the world, attracting around 5 million visitors every year.

The gallery is housed in the former Bankside power station which was closed in 1984. Swiss architects Herzog and de Meuron designed the Tate Modern without diminishing the historical importance of London’s Bankside power station. 

The power station was designed to house massive generators. This provided a quality space well suited for gallery. The architects replaced the interior of power station to create a wider space that can accommodate arts of various shapes and sizes.

The New Expansion of Tate Modern

The plan to expand the gallery space of Tate Modern by 70 % began in 2004. The expansion project was again given to Herzog and de Meuron. The plan of the project was to extend the south west of the building to provide a new display space.

The main attraction of the new expansion is the switch house. The building is 64.5m high and creates 60 percent more exhibition space for the gallery. The exterior of the switch house features latticed brickwork and folded surfaces. The latticed brickwork in the exterior of the building matches the brickwork of the old Bankside power station.

Two of the three large circular oil tanks of the former power station were redesigned into accessible display spaces and also for live art performances. The tanks brought more attention to the performance and live art. The third tank was redesigned to provide utility space for the gallery.

Visit Tate Modern to Explore the Architectural Wonders

Tate Modern architecture tours will help you to witness the combination of old and new architectural styles. The Tate Modern tours will take you to the former Bankside power station and there you can see the iconic turbine halls and the big tanks of the former power station.

The Tate Modern tours allow you to admire the beautiful art works inside the museum as well as the beauty of the buildings that houses those art works. The new expansion of the Tate Modern allows you to enter the museum through the Thames River after enjoying a joyful boat ride.

If you are a student of architecture, the Tate Modern architecture tour is a perfect lesson for how to combine old and new architectural styles.