London s Tate Modern gallery said Tuesday it will open its new extension on June 17 next year, a development which expands its display space by 60 percent.
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Sir Nicholas said: “The way in which we run Tate Modern will further change expectations of what museums and galleries can do”.
He added the new design would reflect the “increasingly sophisticated” public, balancing a focus on interaction with art and “some quiet moments too”.
News of the opening date of the extension come hot on the heels of the release of Tate’s annual report, which states that 2014/2015 was the most successful year for the institution, which attracted 5.7 million visitors to the Tate Modern, including the 560,000 visitors who attended the blockbuster exhibition “Henri Matisse: The Cutouts”.
But he also said that part of the rise is accounted for by the project’s scope extending to include refurbishment of the existing gallery, also designed by Herzog & de Meuron.
“Tate bosses describe the gallery’s £260m revamp as “one of the largest cultural fundraising campaigns ever launched” with money coming from the Government, the Greater London Authority and private foundations and individuals”.
The Tate Modern in London has announced that its hotly anticipated £260 million ($401 million) extension, designed by Herzog & de Meuron, will open to the public on June 17, 2016.
Tate Modern surpassed visitor expectations when it opened at the turn of the century. Costs have gone up due to renovation works on the existing building, and £30 million still has to be raised.
Tate Modern’s new director could be named “sometime soon after Christmas” with the aim of taking over the job when Mr Dercon leaves in the summer, according to Sir Nicholas.
He said: ‘It would have been easier for us to build an office building that was square and nobody would have noticed and it probably would have been torn down in 20 or 30 years when someone had a better idea.
“I think this is something very different”. Both I and the trustees are absolutely confident that we will raise those funds. In 2014 to 2015 a record 5.7 million people visited. “We’ve got a pretty good record of completing the fundraising for projects that we set out on”. A panel will be drawn up this month to begin the recruitment drive.
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“Art itself has changed, and we need to find a new way of showing the collection”, he said.
