Tate Britain
Tate Britain
We have worked as structural engineers and conservation advisors at Tate Britain for over 15 years, assisting the Museum with realising their masterplan and enabling the ongoing installation of exhibitions .
The sugar magnate Henry Tate constructed the Tate gallery in 1897 to house his personal art collection. Tate has grown to become an important national institution, and the original gallery is Grade II* listed.
We first prepared a Conservation Management Plan to inform a masterplan prepared by Caruso St John Architects, and advised on heritage matters in discussions with Westminster City Council and English Heritage. The Conservation Management Plan was submitted as part of a successful HLF application for a grant of £4.9m.
We then worked as structural engineers to enhance and improve the existing galleries and public areas around the Rotunda at the Millbank entrance. This reconfigured space is now distinguished by a spiral staircase which allows the public atmosphere of the ground floor to extend down to the lower floor – an area of the building that was previously of secondary importance - which has been opened up to provide a generous circulation and orientation space at the Millbank end of the building and includes the new Djanogly Café.
We have since advised Tate on the complex and challenging installation of large artworks, such as ‘The Robinson Institute ‘ (2012 by Patrick Kieller); ‘Historical Dances in an Antique Setting’ (2016 by Pablo Bronstein); and ‘Rupture No 1: blowtorching the bitten peach’ (2020 by Heather Phillipson). For Phhyllida Barlow’s 2014 exhibition, we advised on the assembly of her largest and most ambitious timber structures to date to be displayed in the historic gallery setting, whilst the installation of Fiona Banner’s ‘Harrier and Jaguar’ involved suspending a Sea Harrier jet vertically in the South Duveen gallery, its bulk spanning floor to ceiling, wall to wall.
Awards:
RIBA National Award
RIBA English Heritage Award
RIBA London Award
Civic Trust Award
New London Architecture Award
Client: Tate Britain
Architect: Caruso St John