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Guggenheim, Bilbao. Architect: Frank Gehry 02. V&A, Dundee. Architect: Kengo Kuma
Tate Modern: From Redundancy to Urban Stardom
AR30006 Glenn Mckerracher
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The 1994 competition to renovate the redundant Bankside Power Station, attracted some of the most famous Architects the world over. At this time Herzog & De Meuron were a relatively young practice and had not dealt with a public building of this magnitude before, therefore it came as a surprise when their proposal was selected by the judging committee. Fast forward to present day and the practice have most certainly made a name for themselves, “Ask an architect to name the ten most famous practices at work today and you could safely wager that Herzog & De Meuron would feature.”1 What came as a further surprise was that their winning proposal intended to leave the external skin of the existing building more or less untouched.
The decision by the Tate in picking a site containing an existing building, followed by the architects bold design moves, has proven to be an excellent example of reuse architecture. The conversion of the old building stock is essential in a society which is rapidly changing. “Although the majority of such buildings are anonymous, the conversions use the old building as a vehicle of expression, intervening with a vocabulary that either contrast or conforms to the existing building substance.”2 Many would have preferred a shiny new building in place of the Power Station, however, retaining the existing structure adds to the buildings character and maintains the style of the city.
This essay will examine how adaptive reuse has had a positive impact in the design of the Tate Modern by studying the Turbine Hall - which is undoubtedly the key space within the gallery. Furthermore, assessing the benefits of remodelling an existing building to suit a new function and the philosophy of both Giles Gilbert Scott and Herzog & De Meuron.
1 Naomi Stungo, Herzog & de Meuron. (London: Carlton Books, 2002),: 1. 2 Chris van Uffelen, Re-use Architecture. (Salenstein: Braun, 2010), 8.
