London’s top attractions - Tate Modern

In the relatively short time its been open Tate Modern has become one of the big draws for visitors to London. It opened in May 2000 in the converted Bankside power station and the size of the building and the space inside, allowing really large exhibits, must be one of the draws.

The power station was converted to hold the national collection of modern art (any produced after 1900) and is located on the south side of the Thames at Bankside, between Blackfriars and Southwark bridge’s. There are two entrance’s to the building , one facing the river and one going down a ramp in the huge part of the power station that was the turbine hall.

This part of Tate Modern doesn’t hold any permanent exhibition and being 152m long, 35m high, with 3,400m sq of floor space it allows artists to think on a big scale.

Entering through the turbine hall entrance there’s a gentle slope to the middle of the building, the Tate Modern bookshop is on the left along with a coat and bag checking area. Right here are also escaltors and stairs to the upper levels and I imagine elevators, especially for disabled visitors, but I can’t remember seeing them. Wheelchairs are available on request for people who need them.

On the left is a ticket office, its free to enter the collection displays but you may need a ticket for temporary exhibitions and other events.
When I was there one called Fischli and Weiss, Flowers and Questions a Retrospective was £7, I didn’t catch it so I can say if its worth the money.
There are signs up saying that donations are needed from visitors to help with the funding of the gallery, £2 being the suggested amount.

One of the temporary exhibits you’ll see straight away if you enter the turbine hall is Test Site 2006 by Carsten Holler, a series of huge slides starting on four of Tate Modern’s seven levels.

Anyone can take a ride on these slides, its free, but on the upper levels you need a timed ticket so you don’t end up flying feet first into the back of someone’s head. It seems like a lot of school groups visit Tate Modern during the week and although adults were riding the slides there were a lot of screaming kids shooting down.

I didn’t have time to see every exhibit in Tate Modern but thought some of the photography galleries were good. Some of the paintings on display were another thing altogether, I’m going to be a real philistine and say I thought a lot of it was garbage and when I walked into a room and saw a bunch of people sitting on a bench giving some paint splattered canvas the thousand yard stare, I wanted to go and whisper ‘there’s nothing there’, but then I’m no expert.

I think everyone will find some things they like at Tate Modern and quite a few that will sail over your head and leave you thinking ‘why bother’, which I guess is the point of the place.

Tate Modern is open sun-thurs 10am-6pm and fri-sat 10am-10pm allyear round except the 24, 25 and 26 December.

The nearest tube stations are Southwark on the Jubilee Line and Blackfriars on the District and Circle Lines, mainline trains also stop at Blackfriars. There’s also a boat that runs every forty minutes between Tate Britain, the London Eye and Tate Modern. It’s a fairly simple and straight forward walking journey as well from somewhere like Covent Garden.

On the top level of Tate Modern is a restaurant that has panoramic views up and down the Thames and is open till late on Friday and Saturday nights.

They say that taking photos is banned in the building but I think you can get away with it in the larger parts of Tate Modern. Map