Belinda Aird

Power Into Art: The Battle for the New Tate Gallery

Karl Sabbagh, Belinda Aird

In May 1994, the Tate Gallery in London announced that it was going to create a huge modern art gallery in London. Instead of commissioning a new building from one of London's "star" architects, they made the controversial decision to award the contract to a small Swiss firm of architects, and convert a disused power station. Karl Sabbagh follows the team from conception to opening as they wrestle with decisions about design, construction and art as well as people and internal politics. From schedule delays to a faulty staircase; asbestos in the roof to resigning construction managers, Sabbagh tells the story of the process behind a rare success in public design and architecture.