London unveiled the new project of the Tate Modern extension in the first month of the new century as the museum offered a bold new way of presenting contemporary art. Now, 16 years later, the Tate Modern has grown.

 

 

This week, one of the world’s most-visited museums has opened its new ten-story expansion to the public. Designed by Herzog & de Meuron, the pyramid-like tower features cavernous galleries that increase the museum’s display space by 60 percent. The boost in capacity will bode well for an institution that recently set a personal record in attendance, with 5.7 million visitors coming through the doors between 2014 and 2015 (a significant jump from the previous year’s 4.8 million).

Positioned behind the original building, the Switch House—as the new structure has been dubbed—includes galleries, concourse areas, learning spaces for kids, a restaurant, and a members-only room. The $365 million concrete structure, which rises 200 feet, also features a rooftop terrace with panoramic views of London.

 

The building’s exterior consists of 336,000 perforated bricks, a nod to the derelict power station that was transformed into the original Tate Modern (a project also completed by Herzog & de Meuron). At a launch event earlier this week, Tate chairman Lord Browne made reference to the old power plant while praising the new addition, saying that “a building that was once London’s beating heart is now its cultural cathedral.” London’s new mayor Sadiq Khan also spoke highly of the recent extension, stating that it would add to London’s “huge cultural pull.”