The Tate Britain Museum in London has completed its $72 million renovation, which was led by the architectural firm Caruso St. John. Penelope Curtis, Director of the Tate, announced that the project had wrapped up “on time and on budget” during a showing of the refurbished museum on Monday, November 18. The Tate opened to the public the following day.
The Tate has remained open during the renovations but its main entrance has been closed since April 2012, in addition to 10 galleries, which reopened in May following a major overhaul. The newly designed sections of the museum include a showpiece spiral staircase, a new café, educational studios, an archive gallery, and the Grand Saloon, a large space overlooking the Thames that had previously been closed off from the rest of the museum. Visitors will also be able to catch a glimpse of Rex Whistler’s The Expedition in Pursuit of Rare Meats in the Tate’s café. It is the first time that the fully restored mural has been on display since a flood damaged it in 1928.
90% of the funding for the museum’s major overhaul came from private contributions, including donations from Tate members and a donation from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
