The London Tate Gallery of Modern Art is the most visited museum of con­tem­porary art in the world. Its new structure is connected with the building of the old Tate Gallery. Two con­verted oil tanks of the ancient power sta­tion consti­tute the foun­da­tion of the Switch House. The structure itself is a 10-storey, pyramid-like tower that rises among the glazed residen­tial and busi­ness buildings of the surroundings. It was desi­gned by the architects who already con­structed the old Tate.
The cur­tain wall con­sists of offset-sta­cked bricks and horizontal window strips, thus referencing Giles Gilbert Scott’s original Bankside Power Sta­tion. The translu­cent brick enve­lope creates a pleasant lighting mood.
Four of the ten storeys are connected via curved concrete stairs and pro­vide space for art. The upper storeys accom­mo­date event studios, offices, a restau­rant and a lounge for Tate members. Visi­tors of the ter­race on the tenth storey have a view of St. Paul’s Cathedral and the London skyline across the Thames.
In coope­ra­tion with a market leader for innova­tive building enve­lopes, GU deve­loped and installed catch-stays for the low-height, inclined Tilt-Only and Top-Hung sashes. On the west side of the building there is a brass revolving door from GU Automatic.