Enhancing a London icon
Delivering an iconic new addition to Tate Modern was always going to be challenging. Mace brought creativity and expertise to ensure the successful completion of the project, which was already a firm favourite on the London art scene.
Tate Modern Project summary
Client
Trustees of Tate Galleries
Key partners
Herzog & de Meuron, Ramboll UK, Swift Brickwork
Services provided
Construct, Construction management
Sectors
Locations
UK and Europe, UK - London and south-east England
Project timeline
- Start date
- 2008
- End date
- 2016
Project story
Since opening in 2000, Tate Modern on London's South Bank have welcomed over five million visitors a year - more than twice what it was designed to accommodate. As a result, Tate sought an extension to the galleries that would redefine it for the 21st century.
Our role evolved during the development of this 11-storey structure (equivalent to 22 storeys of a standard commercial office block). Strong collaboration with the client and design team early on proved instrumental in achieving successful planning permission and saw our retention on the project as it moved to the next phase, with the team adapting to manage the construction as building works got under way.
Mace managed this complex construction project and maintained strong community relations with local residents.
Britain’s most important new cultural building since the creation of the Royal National Theatre in 1976 and the British Library in 1998, the Switch House at Tate Modern is an outstanding addition to London's cultural heritage.
Project stats
Image Gallery
“This has been a hugely complex project, requiring a huge effort from the whole team to pull together to overcome the construction challenges. It's a tribute to the Mace team that the new galleries have been so well received by the public and the Switch House is a welcome addition to London's cultural landscape.”
“The building is a prototype - it's never been done before and is a unique addition to the London skyline. It's been hugely challenging, making sure the design would work and adapting the plans along the way, and collaboration was key to its success. I'm hugely proud of what we've achieved and to have been involved with such a fantastic project.”
“The new galleries are amazing and the new bridge between the old and the new is fantastic!”
