Best of British
When the sugar tycoon Sir Henry Tate decided to donate his British art collection to the nation, it is unlikely that even he could have imagined how successful this act of altruism was to prove. The collection, impressive by any standards, was too large to be accommodated in the National Gallery and as a consequence a new gallery dedicated to British art was built on the site of an old prison, once used to hold those unfortunates about to be deported to Australia.
When it opened in 1897, the National Gallery of British Art was an immediate success, with thousands flocking to admire architect Sidney RJ Smith’s grand porticoed entrance and glass-roofed dome – giving the appearance of being a temple to art.
1 The Rex Whistler restaurant, where you can sample food originally offered when the restaurant opened in 1927. 2 The BP Walk Through British Art enables the Tate to show neglected works alongside the more obvious ones. 3 The Principal Level Rotunda
The 245 artworks were displayed in eight galleries, the building’s impressive river frontage providing a standard bearer for British art. The gallery eventually changed its name to the Tate Gallery in 1932 (partly because that’s what everyone had always called it) and has grown to include three outposts and permanent collections of around 70,000 artworks.
This week saw the unveiling of a three-year overhaul and subtle redesign by the architects Caruso St John that has transformed this tired old masterpiece. One of the biggest changes was to move the enquiries desk from Smith’s wonderful domed rotunda and install an elegant circular staircase, whose sides appear to rise effortlessly from the terrazzo floor in a pattern that recalls the original marble mosaic floor. Its graceful treads lead the visitor down to the huge vaulted spaces below, most of which had been out of use since the Thames burst its banks in 1928. Mercifully, the architects now have the security of the Thames Barrier and have made full use of this once dim area. Those who remember the chaotic, anti-food feel of the mundane old café are in for a treat. The new Djanogly café is swathed in daylight with doors leading out on to a terrace.
4 A new, elegant circular staircase has been added
The Rex Whistler restaurant next door has been cleverly upgraded without detracting from any of the beauty and charm of the artist’s original mural. The pleasure of sitting and admiring his considered brush strokes while being offered the chance to eat menu choices originally offered when the restaurant opened in 1927, is worth the trip to Millbank alone.
There is now room for a gallery devoted to archive documents with photographs and plans from when the site was first developed, and a moving note from the plasterers to those in the ‘future’, which was discovered hidden in the walls of the original building.
The main exhibition spaces have been reconfigured to allow for nine new galleries, including two rooms dedicated to Henry Moore. And there’s a room showcasing the work of William Blake, with deep blue walls and matching fitted carpet – strange, but somehow absolutely perfect.
5 Tate Britain's impressive river frontage. 6 View of the Member's Area
Caruso St John has exploited the long enfilades to create a circuit around the outer perimeter with a series of galleries that open up on to each other, providing a unified run that allows the visitor to promenade through 500 years of artworks. Director Penelope Curtis has said that her decision to present the art in chronological order is, in one way, highly traditional – and something of a relief for those of us tired of ‘thematic’ curating – but also radical. Using dating, starting off as it does in the 1540s and ending in the present day, enables the Tate to show neglected works alongside the more obvious ones.
None of this came cheap – it cost £45m. But it is an absolute masterclass in tin-rattling. Some 95 per cent of the renovations were paid for through private donations, with the rest being made up by the Heritage Lottery Fund. Tate chairman Lord Browne described it as a ‘triumph for private philanthropy’.
The BP Walk Through British Art
Those who indirectly helped by paying for Tate membership have been amply rewarded with the icing on the cake – a glorious new members’ room café that sits high up in the airy dome of the rotunda, offering a bird’seye view over the circular balcony to the proceedings down below.
Tate Britain, Millbank, London SW1: 020-7887 8888, www.tate.org.uk
When it opened in 1897, the National Gallery of British Art was an immediate success, with thousands flocking to admire architect Sidney RJ Smith’s grand porticoed entrance and glass-roofed dome – giving the appearance of being a temple to art.
1 The Rex Whistler restaurant, where you can sample food originally offered when the restaurant opened in 1927. 2 The BP Walk Through British Art enables the Tate to show neglected works alongside the more obvious ones. 3 The Principal Level Rotunda The 245 artworks were displayed in eight galleries, the building’s impressive river frontage providing a standard bearer for British art. The gallery eventually changed its name to the Tate Gallery in 1932 (partly because that’s what everyone had always called it) and has grown to include three outposts and permanent collections of around 70,000 artworks.
This week saw the unveiling of a three-year overhaul and subtle redesign by the architects Caruso St John that has transformed this tired old masterpiece. One of the biggest changes was to move the enquiries desk from Smith’s wonderful domed rotunda and install an elegant circular staircase, whose sides appear to rise effortlessly from the terrazzo floor in a pattern that recalls the original marble mosaic floor. Its graceful treads lead the visitor down to the huge vaulted spaces below, most of which had been out of use since the Thames burst its banks in 1928. Mercifully, the architects now have the security of the Thames Barrier and have made full use of this once dim area. Those who remember the chaotic, anti-food feel of the mundane old café are in for a treat. The new Djanogly café is swathed in daylight with doors leading out on to a terrace.
4 A new, elegant circular staircase has been addedThe Rex Whistler restaurant next door has been cleverly upgraded without detracting from any of the beauty and charm of the artist’s original mural. The pleasure of sitting and admiring his considered brush strokes while being offered the chance to eat menu choices originally offered when the restaurant opened in 1927, is worth the trip to Millbank alone.
There is now room for a gallery devoted to archive documents with photographs and plans from when the site was first developed, and a moving note from the plasterers to those in the ‘future’, which was discovered hidden in the walls of the original building.
The main exhibition spaces have been reconfigured to allow for nine new galleries, including two rooms dedicated to Henry Moore. And there’s a room showcasing the work of William Blake, with deep blue walls and matching fitted carpet – strange, but somehow absolutely perfect.
5 Tate Britain's impressive river frontage. 6 View of the Member's AreaCaruso St John has exploited the long enfilades to create a circuit around the outer perimeter with a series of galleries that open up on to each other, providing a unified run that allows the visitor to promenade through 500 years of artworks. Director Penelope Curtis has said that her decision to present the art in chronological order is, in one way, highly traditional – and something of a relief for those of us tired of ‘thematic’ curating – but also radical. Using dating, starting off as it does in the 1540s and ending in the present day, enables the Tate to show neglected works alongside the more obvious ones.
None of this came cheap – it cost £45m. But it is an absolute masterclass in tin-rattling. Some 95 per cent of the renovations were paid for through private donations, with the rest being made up by the Heritage Lottery Fund. Tate chairman Lord Browne described it as a ‘triumph for private philanthropy’.
The BP Walk Through British ArtThose who indirectly helped by paying for Tate membership have been amply rewarded with the icing on the cake – a glorious new members’ room café that sits high up in the airy dome of the rotunda, offering a bird’seye view over the circular balcony to the proceedings down below.
Tate Britain, Millbank, London SW1: 020-7887 8888, www.tate.org.uk