Tate Britain has submitted plans to Westminster City Council to transform its entrance with new green spaces and a “garden classroom” for children.
The proposal is currently awaiting permission from Westminster City Council, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
It includes plans for new Mediterranean and East Asian-inspired green spaces, 60 new trees of different species and sizes, and a new natural pond.
Architects Feilden Fowles said the proposal is a “comprehensive redesign”, which focuses on “softening” Tate Britain’s external appearance.
Works on the landscaping and classroom will take place in the first phase of the project, with the rest of the development taking place in the second phase, expected to finish in 2026.
The plans are backed by organisations including Westminster City Council, Historic England and Transport for London.
Tate Britain unveiled the preliminary designs for the project, called the Clore Garden, by landscape architect Tom Stuart-Smith Sutdio and Feilden Fowles in May of this year.
Clore Garden at Tate Britain
In a press release, Tate said the garden will be “a beautiful and inviting new green space” and “a rich, varied environment”.
The new Clore Garden includes a reimagined café terrace, space for outdoor programmes, talks and activities, and an interactive water feature, Tate said.
The gardens will also display sculptures by iconic British artists from Tate’s collection.
As for the classroom, this will open out directly onto the garden, with school groups and adult learners able to “explore the connections between art and nature”.
Tate Britain’s new garden will be “a significant green space uniting art and nature and encouraging biodiversity”, Alex Farquharson, director of Tate Britain, said at the time.
“We hope the garden will offer new ways to engage with Tate’s Collection, for both visitors and local residents alike,” he added.
Last July, the Natural History Museum opened its new gardens, which welcomed more than 5 million visitors in their first year, showing a demand for urban green spaces.
Images courtesy of Tom Stuart-Smith Studio
