Tate Britain, until 1932 the National Gallery of British Art and then the Tate Gallery, is housed on the site of the former Millbank Prison. The main building was designed by Sidney R. J. Smith with a classicist colonnade and a dome vault. Construction started in 1893 and the museum was opened on July 21, 1897. Various extensions have been added to the museum over the years, so that a complex of buildings has gradually been added. The central image gallery was created designed by John Russell Pope.
The museum was renamed “Tate Britain” in 2000, due to the opening of Tate Modern on the other bank of the Thames. The exhibitions are now focused on older and official British art. The Clore Gallery from 1987, designed by James Stirling, houses works by William Turner.
Tate Britain and Tate Modern are connected by a fast boat connection via the Thames. The boat is reminiscent of a shark rising from the water and is decorated with spots, based on paintings with the same theme by the artist Damien Hirst.
Tate Britain, like most museums, is free of charge.
