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Tate Modern is Britain's national gallery of international modern art and forms part of the Tate group (together with Tate Britain, Tate Liverpool, Tate St Ives and Tate Online). It is based in the former iconic Bankside Power Station, where the turbine hall has been transformed in a dramatic entrance and display area and the boiler house have become the galleries. The Tanks - formerly used to store oil provide a permanent gallery for live art, performances and a film and video work from the Tate collection. The Turbine Hall has hosted some of the world’s most memorable and acclaimed works of contemporary art.
Tate holds the national collection of British art from 1500 to the present day and international modern and contemporary art. In 1889 Henry Tate, an industrialist who had made his fortune as a sugar refiner, offered his collection of British nineteenth-century art to the nation and provided funding for the first Tate Gallery. When Tate first opened its doors to the public in 1897 it had just one site, displaying a small collection of British artworks.
Today Tate has four major sites and the national collection of British art from 1500 to the present day and international modern and contemporary art, which includes nearly 70,000 artworks.
As with the UK's other national galleries and museums, there is no admission charge for access to the collection displays, which take up the majority of the gallery space, while tickets must be purchased for the major temporary exhibitions.
The top floor of the Blavatnik Building is an open viewing terrace. It boasts spectacular 360-degree views of the London Skyline. Enjoy a drink and snacks from the bar as you see across the River Thames, St Paul’s Cathedral, and as far as Canary Wharf and Wembley Stadium. Access is free, and you can use the dedicated lift from Level 0.
