Volume
(Tate Modern, London) The Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall in London stands as one of the most iconic architectural spaces in contemporary museum design. Housed in the former Bankside Power Station, redesigned by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron, the vast industrial volume of the Turbine Hall has become a defining feature of the Tate Modern experience.
Herzog & de Meuron, known for their innovative and context-sensitive designs, have played a crucial role in redefining contemporary architecture. The Swiss duo, Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, have a signature approach that blends materiality, historic continuity, and modern functionality. Their work on the Tate Modern extends beyond the Turbine Hall, with their 2016 extension, the Blavatnik Building, further reinforcing their commitment to adaptive reuse and urban integration.
Measuring 115 feet in height and stretching over 500 feet in length, the hall’s cavernous proportions create an atmosphere that is at once awe-inspiring and deeply immersive. Originally designed to house the station’s turbines, the space now serves as a blank canvas for some of the world’s most ambitious site-specific art installations.
One of the most compelling aspects of the Turbine Hall is its ability to transform with each commissioned work. From Olafur Eliasson’s mesmerizing sun-like installation, The Weather Project, to Ai Weiwei’s thought-provoking Sunflower Seeds, each artist has uniquely reinterpreted the space, engaging with its monumental scale and industrial character.
The architectural brilliance of the Turbine Hall lies in its balance between preservation and reinvention. Herzog & de Meuron retained the raw, utilitarian essence of the original structure, allowing exposed steel beams, towering walls, and vast concrete floors to frame contemporary artistic interventions. This juxtaposition between old and new gives the space a dynamic quality, where history and modernity coalesce seamlessly.
Ultimately, the Turbine Hall exemplifies how architecture can elevate art and vice versa. It is a testament to adaptive reuse, where an industrial relic has been reimagined into a space that continues to inspire, challenge, and captivate audiences from around the world.