Tate Modern's Switch House Opens June 2016: Herzog & de Meuron's Pyramid of Red Brick
So, the Tate Modern is set to unveil its massive expansion on June 17, 2016, after an eight-year journey that cost £260 million. This new design, created by Herzog & de Meuron, includes the three oil tanks that were briefly opened during the 2012 Olympics and introduces the Switch House, a striking pyramidal structure wrapped in a red brick lattice. Jacques Herzog mentioned that while brick isn’t trendy now, it connects nicely with the original power station built between 1947 and 1960 by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, which became the Tate Modern in 2000. The expansion adds ten new floors and boosts the space by 60% for various art forms. The collection has been reorganized; for instance, Poetry & Dream is now Citizens & States, featuring works by Barbara Hepworth and Philip Guston.
Key facts
- Tate Modern expansion cost £260 million and took eight years.
- Switch House designed by Herzog & de Meuron, clad in red brick.
- Original power station built 1947–1960 by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott.
- New building adds ten floors and 60% more space.
- Collection rehung with new thematic sections: Citizens & States, Media Networks, Material Worlds.
- Making Traces remains unchanged until May 23, 2016.
- Guerrilla Girls' 1989 work juxtaposed with Warhol's Marilyn Diptych.
- Duchamp's Fountain (1964 replica) given its own room.
Entities
Artists
- Jacques Herzog
- Sir Giles Gilbert Scott
- Barbara Hepworth
- Philip Guston
- Andy Warhol
- Marisa Merz
- El Anatsui
- Marcel Duchamp
- Arturo Schwarz
- Guerrilla Girls
Institutions
- Tate Modern
- Herzog & de Meuron
- Independent Artists
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom