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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