Tate Modern

The galleries of Tate Modern are housed in a building that was once the home of the Bankside Power Station. Designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott and built between 1947 and 1963, the building was converted after the power station closed in 1981. The architects responsible for the changes were Herzog and de Meuron. Part of the building is retained as an electrical substation.

The museum opened at this location in May 2000 and has become quite a popular tourist attraction thanks to its eclectic collection of modern art. Also, entrance to many of the collections and exhibits at Tate Modern is free, which adds to its popularity.

Tate Modern is set to expand in time for the 2012 Summer Olympics, which are to be held in London. The new, very modern glass pyramid extension will house photography, video, and community exhibits and is slated to cost approximately £215 million (about 260 million euro at the time of writing). The architects for the extension, which will be added to the south side of the existing building, will be Herzog and de Meuron.

Visitors heading to Tate Modern are treated to a real plethora of modern art. On the first floor, Turbine Hall, guests will find specially commissioned works that change from year to year. On the next level, a small exhibition space profiles changing works of contemporary artists, both regional and international.

On level 3, galleries include Abstraction, Expressionism, and Abstract Expressionism, and guests will view masterpieces by such artists as Matisse, Monet, and Kapoor, just to name a few.

Level 4 houses temporary exhibits while level 5 zeroes in on such movements as Cubism, Futurism, Pop Art, Minimalism, Constructivism, and Conceptual Art. Artists displayed here might include Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, and Roy Lichenstein.

For hungry visitors, Tate Modern hosts a full-service restaurant as well as a café and espresso bar, all overlooking the River Thames. Lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner are served at the café and restaurant.

Outside, you can hop aboard the Tate Boat and make the 20 minute trip to Tate Modern’s sister museum, Tate Britain, which is the national gallery of British art.