For access to the spaces, the architects cut new openings into the raw walls and left the edges exposed as an evidence of their intentional manipulation. The underground space has now been reused to house live art, performance, installation and film. Herzog and de Meuron tried to minimalize interference with the Tanks, as original patina with all its stains, marks and discoloration was preserved and, new concrete necessary for structural reinforcement, blends subtly into the overall patchwork. The Tanks at Tate Modern were previously used to store oil when the gallery was a power station. With the success of the Tate Modern (the museum hosts approximately 2 million visitors a year), in 2005, the museum selected Herzog and de Meuron. The first season of performance, choreography and film programmes in the new Tanks at Tate Modern has grown out of the gallery’s renowned curatorial approach to recent tendencies in art. Yet, their charm lies in their roughness and their history is revealed through their exposed nature. The Tanks Open / Tate Modern / Herzog + de Meuron. Sculpted from raw concrete, these tanks seem to be in direct opposition to the pristine and formal geometry of existing white gallery spaces found above ground. “From the beginning, Tate’s and our objective for this new project has been to fuse the extension with the power station’s past and history, so that like the original conversion, it would always refer back to the building as it once was, which was rough and industrial,” explained Herzog and de Meuron. Upon a site visit over ten years ago, Herzog and de Meuron were captivated by the potential of the power station for their ability to merge the history of the site with its contemporary purpose.
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