A Power Station Becomes the Tate Modern

Bankside Power Station stood on the south bank of the River Thames directly across from St Paul's Cathedral. Designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, the steel-framed and brick-clad structure was built in two stages between 1947 and 1963, featuring a prominent 99-metre central chimney and a vast interior divided into a central turbine hall, a northern boiler house, and a southern switch house. Following its decommissioning in 1981, the site remained disused for over a decade. Developers considered tearing it down, and an application to grant the building official listed protection was rejected. However, public campaigns argued against demolition and proposed alternative uses for the industrial complex.

A decisive turning point came in April 1994, when the Tate Gallery selected Bankside as the new location to house the national collection of international modern and contemporary art produced since 1900. Tate had previously shared its Millbank site with British historic art displays and needed a dedicated home for its growing twentieth-century holdings. Later that year, an international design competition was launched, and in January 1995 the Swiss architectural practice Herzog & de Meuron was awarded the commission. Their proposal retained the essential industrial profile of the building while converting it into an expansive cultural institution.