Herzog & de Meuron's Switch House Opens at Tate Modern

On June 17, 2016, the Tate Modern in London opened its new extension, the Switch House, designed by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron. The project, which took eleven years from 2005 to 2016, increases the museum's size by 60%, adding ten floors connected by walkways. The Switch House is a pyramidal prism with a brutalist core, dedicated to performance, video, photography, dance, and installations that previously lacked adequate space. The expansion cost £260 million, raised through a crowdfunding campaign involving the UK Government, the Greater London Authority, Southwark Council, and private entities. The museum's collection, curated by director Frances Morris and her team, now includes 800 works by 300 artists from 50 countries, covering 100 years of modern and contemporary art. The Switch House features underground concrete tanks, educational spaces, and a panoramic terrace on level 10 offering views of the city. The original Tate Modern, housed in a former power station, opened in 2000 and attracts over 5 million visitors annually, making it the world's most visited museum for contemporary art. Former director Nicholas Serota championed the expansion, which aims to transform the museum into a dynamic hub for growth, experimentation, and entertainment.