Tate Britain

Tate Britain stands on Millbank in the City of Westminster, beside the River Thames. The building occupies the former site of Millbank Prison and opened in 1897 as the National Gallery of British Art. Designed by Sidney R. J. Smith, it features a classical portico and dome at the front. The Clore Gallery, added in 1987, houses the largest group of J. M. W. Turner’s works and is a noted example of Postmodern architecture. The gallery was renamed Tate Britain in 2000 when modern collections moved to Tate Modern. It is one of the largest art museums in the country and ranked 50th among the world’s most-visited art museums in 2021. The museum holds the most comprehensive collection of British art from 1500 to the present day. It includes major holdings of works by Turner, who bequeathed his entire collection to the nation. Rooms are dedicated to individual artists such as Tracey Emin, Tacita Dean and Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger. The gallery also stages career retrospectives and temporary exhibitions, including a Triennial every three years. Every other year it hosts the Turner Prize exhibition, often controversial and accompanied by public demonstrations. Visitors find nine new galleries created during a recent renovation, with reinforced floors for heavy sculptures. The Thames-facing entrance has been reopened, along with a spiral staircase beneath the rotunda. A circular balcony in the domed atrium, closed since the 1920s, is now accessible. The gallery provides a café, a members’ room and free tours on the hour. A river bus connects Tate Britain to Tate Modern, decorated with Damien Hirst’s spot paintings. The Rex Whistler restaurant, once home to his mural, now displays the artwork alongside a film installation by Keith Piper.