Tate Modern's extension gets green light

[edesignuk]

Tate Modern's proposed £215m extension has been given the green light by planners, the London gallery has said.

The 11-storey, brick and glass structure - designed by Swiss architects Herzog and de Meuron - will increase capacity at the gallery.

Southwark Council approved the revised project for the extension which is expected to be completed in 2012.

Tate Modern said £74m had already been raised towards the extension - a third of the overall cost.

Tate director Sir Nicholas Serota said he was "delighted" the plans had been approved.

BBC.

Personally I find most of the content of the gallery to be modern art *****, the building is easily the best bit. Now it looks to be getting even better and more interesting/impressive.

 

[iBlue]

That's cool and all but I wonder how many residents of Southwark council are really pleased to be paying for (more than half of) that. As if our council taxes in london boroughs are not high enough, they need to go and spend hundreds of millions of pounds on a modern art gallery? It seems like kind of a piss-take under the circumstances. Though I suppose it may be a good thing in the long run. I digress.

 

[edesignuk]

That's cool and all but I wonder how many residents of Southwark council are really pleased to be paying for (more than half of) that.

Where does it say the council are paying?

 

[robbieduncan]

Love the existing building. Not 100% about the new one, looks a bit odd. I'm pretty sure the entire cost will be funded by the Tate, perhaps with some Lottery funding...

You can read more about it here. Nothing I can see about funding though...

 

[iBlue]

Where does it say the council are paying?

Oh. I don't know. That was the impression I got. Seems I could be mistaken. Ooops.

 

[robbieduncan]

Oh. I don't know. That was the impression I got. Seems I could be mistaken. Ooops.

I can't find any up-to-date references but it appears that the LDA (London Development Agency) is providing some funding for this (around £7M). Whilst this is tax-funded agency this is exactly what it's supposed to do...

 

[iBlue]

^ That's not so bad and yes, it seems like a reasonable use of funds.

My knee-jerk reaction was to thinking that the majority of the funding was to come from Southwark council (taxes) and that seemed like a hefty amount and a strange thing to do in an economic crisis. I'm glad to hear that's not the case.

 

[rhsgolfer33]

Looks like a nice extension. Great museum and you can't beat the price. Loved all the Picasso's when I visited. Cannot wait to go back.

 

[djellison]

Personally I find most of the content of the gallery to be modern art *****,

Agreed.

 

[remmy]

It does look nice but just wonder about the size, it seems to loom over the old building.