Caruso St John have been appointed architects for Tate Britain it was announced today. The appointment is for an initial period of five years.
The architects will work with Tate Britain to modernise areas of the existing gallery. Parts of the building’s structure remain in a pre-war condition and are in need of renovation and the gallery’s high number of visitors puts a strain on the current visitor facilities. A recently completed planning study identified a number of potential projects to improve the gallery’s facilities and renew the building fabric and services. The architects will work as part of the design team to take forward these projects within the context of Tate Britain’s masterplan, building on the success of the John Miller + Partners’ Centenary Development.
Caruso St John were selected because they showed the best understanding of the challenges posed by the building. The selection panel were impressed by their combination of a strong analytical approach with a sympathy for the art that is shown in the gallery.
Six practices were invited to tender: Caruso St John, DRMM (de Rijke, Marsh, Morgan Architects), DSDHA (Deborah Saunt David Hills Architects, MUMA (McInnes, Usher, McKnight Architects), HOK International Limited, and Rick Mather Architects. Rick Mather Architects subsequently withdrew before completion of the exercise.