Power Into Art

B a n k s i d e
This was Bankside, once disused Sixties Power Station, destined to become Tate Gallery of Modern Art [Photo 1996].

A dark foreboding silhouette against the Thames skyline, this was once Bankside Power Station, disused since 1981.
The new era of Bankside began in August 1994, when the Tate announced a competition to find architects who could carry out the massive task of transforming a disused power station into a viable modern art gallery for the 21st century.
Architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron won the contest.
Skyscraper Productions filmed part of the project as a series for Channel 4 entitled, 'Power into Art' and the first programme was screened in November 1996. This series did much to generate new interest in both adaptive architecture and new art appreciation.
The Tate Gallery of Modern Art was scheduled to open in time for the new millennium 2000, and there was much to be done to enable this imaginative vision to be fully realised...

Power Into Art

The most striking aspect of Bankside Power Station is its single chimney, which was limited to a height of 325 feet so as not to overpower St. Paul's Cathedral. The massive turbine hall alone is 115 feet high and extends across the 500 feet length of the building.

	November 1996, the sign clearly identifies the site of Tate Gallery of Modern Art.

	The changing scenes of Bankside... November 1996 - Dark and foreboding with little sign of activity.
	May 1998 - Work continues apace in the good weather to meet the 2000 deadline.
	October 2005 -The lowered curbs make it very tempting to dash across the busy road without looking. Bankside is complete, but as always another crane can be seen on the horizon.

	During 1998 and 1999 work continued to remove the heavy generators and switchgear, as well as preparation on the roof for installation of the 'Light Beam'.

Skyscraper Productions

Skyscraper Productions filmed part of the project as a series for Channel 4 entitled, 'Power into Art' and the first programme was screened in November 1996. This series did much to generate new interest in both adaptive architecture and new art appreciation.

Skyscraper Productions was headed by Karl Sabbagh who had previously made such excellent documentaries as "Skyscraper" in 1989 which showed the building from start to finish of the New York skyscraper, Worldwide Plaza. Another notable programme was "21st Century Jet" about the design, assembly and testing of Boeing's new airliner, the 777.

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Books

Power into Art by Karl Sabbagh

Creating TATE MODERN, BANKSIDE
To accompany the CHANNEL FOUR series
Allen Lane, The Penguin Press, 2000
ISBN 0-713-99280-0