Navigation

Herzog & de Meuron revisit the Tate Modern

Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron have built a new extension to their original Tate Modern design. In a rare interview, the duo spoke to Swiss public television about their work. (SRF/RTS, swissinfo.ch)

This content was published on June 20, 2016

In 2000, the Herzog & de MeuronExternal link architecture firm converted the former Bankside Power Station in London into what is now known as the Tate ModernExternal link museum. With 4.7 million visitors in 2015 it’s one of the most visited contemporary art museums in the world.

In June 2016, the extension was opened by the new mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.

The “Switch House”, as it’s known, is a ten-storey tower clad with brick in the form of a twisting pyramid, and takes the name from part of the former power station that the new wing of the Tate Modern museum occupies.

The unique façade of the new building reinterprets the power station’s brickwork through 336,000 lattice bricks that allow the light to filter in patterns during the day and makes the building glow in the dark.

Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron have built up their architecture firm to become one of the most renowned in the world, recently designing the Beijing Olympics’ Bird’s Nest, among other iconic buildings. 

Contributions under this article have been turned off. You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here. Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.

Sort by

Change your password

Do you really want to delete your profile?

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you.

Weekly top stories

Keep up to date with the best stories from SWI swissinfo.ch on a range of topics, straight into your mailbox.

Weekly

The SBC Privacy Policy provides additional information on how your data is processed.