Department for Culture, Media and Sport
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Culture secretary James Purnell announces £50 million capital investment to get new Tate Gallery off the ground

Culture secretary James Purnell announces £50 million capital investment to get new Tate Gallery off the ground

DEPARTMENT FOR CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT News Release (148\2007) issued by The Government News Network on 5 December 2007

A £50 million Government investment to transform Tate Modern was announced today by Culture Secretary James Purnell. It will create a spectacular new building, increasing the gallery's size by 60 per cent and allowing it to display far more of its permanent collection.

The funding is from DCMS's Comprehensive Spending Review Settlement. The new Gallery is expected to lead to an extra million visitors a year to Tate Modern, already the most popular museum of modern art in the world.

Speaking at Tate Modern today, James Purnell said:

"This is a really important moment for Tate, and for London. Herzog and de Meuron's astonishing design will create a stunning new landmark for the capital, and a brilliant space for showing the very best of international modern art to the world, free of charge.

"Tate Modern has been a runaway success with the public from the day it opened. I know that this new development, which we hope will be completed in time for 2012, will prove once and for all that London is the cultural capital of the world."

Notes to Editors

The DCMS announced the Comprehensive Spending Review settlement for the arts and the national museums and galleries on 12 October (News Release 117\2007).

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