Tate Modern

The Tate Modern is located on the south bank of the Thames directly opposite St Paul's Cathedral. These two building are linked by the the millennium footbridge. The Tate MOdern consists of a brick-clad steel structure constructed from more than 4.2 million bricks and is over 650ft long. The height of the central chimney was limited to 325 feet in order to be lower than the dome of St Paul's Cathedral.

The building in which the Tate Modern is housed is the converted Bankside Power Station which was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott and completed in 1963. Sir Gilbert was also the architect of Battersea Power Station, the Liverpool Anglican cathedral and the famous British red telephone box.

Due to increased oil prices Bankside Power station closed its doors in 1981 and the building remained unoccupied until 1994 when Tate Gallery acquired the site. An international architectural competition was launched to find an architect to redesign the former power station. Over seventy architects entered, including some of the world's most distinguished, and the winner was the young Swiss practice, Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron.

Refurbishment began in 1995 and the most noticeable change to the exterior was the addition of a two-storey glass structure spanning the length of the roof. This glass "lightbeam" allows natural light into the galleries on the top floors, and houses a café offering great views over London. The new Tate Modern opened its doors to the public in 2000.