Tate Liverpool is an art gallery and museum in Liverpool, Merseyside, England, and part of Tate, along with Tate St Ives, Cornwall, Tate Britain, London, and Tate Modern, London. The museum was an initiative of the Merseyside Development Corporation. Tate Liverpool was created to display work from the Tate Collection which comprises the national collection of British art from the year 1500 to the present day, and international modern art. The gallery also has a programme of temporary exhibitions. Until 2003, Tate Liverpool was the largest gallery of modern and contemporary art in the UK outside London.

Tate Liverpool
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Established1988
LocationAlbert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside England
Visitors660,022 (2019)[1]
DirectorHelen Legg
Website[1]
Tate

History

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Housed in a converted warehouse within the Albert Dock on Liverpool's waterfront, the gallery was opened on 24 May 1988 by Prince Charles, an event covered by BBC Two television.[2][3] The original conversion was done by James Stirling but the building was given a major refurbishment in 1998 to create additional gallery space.

In 2007, the foyer area was redesigned by architects Arca to create an updated appearance and better proportions, as well as to improve visitor handling. The gallery cafe was also redesigned by Peter Blake and Liverpool-based architects, Architectural Emporium.[4][5] The centrepiece of the space is a new timber desk with an undulating orange fascia, which links to the retained colour scheme of the original conversion work by Stirling. A colour-changing wall acts as a backdrop to the simplified brick volume, visible from across Albert Dock. Behind the scenes, Arca also made alterations to the hospitality, cloakroom, events and education areas.

Renovation

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The gallery will close in October 2023 for two years whilst renovation work takes place.[6] Costing around £29.7 million, the works will see the galleries refurbished and the creation of new social spaces. During this period, the gallery plans to host events and projects in other areas around the city.

Live events

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The gallery has hosted numerous live events in the foyer, including Made Up Mix as part of Liverpool's Biennial of Contemporary Art.[7][8] This event featured Die Plankton[9] performing a show that was recorded for their "Yorkshire's Answers To The Beatles" live album.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "ALVA - Association of Leading Visitor Attractions". www.alva.org.uk. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  2. ^ "Tate Gallery Liverpool". BBC Genome, BBC Two England, 24 May 1988, 21.00. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
  3. ^ Youngs, Ian (29 March 2018). "The man who's been hands-on with priceless art for 40 years". BBC News. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
  4. ^ Jade Wright (17 August 2015). "Tate Liverpool unveils Sir Peter Blake's new Dazzle cafe". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  5. ^ "The Tate Gallery Café". Architectural Emporium. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  6. ^ Ryder, Elliott (6 March 2023). "Exact date Tate Liverpool will close its doors for two years". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  7. ^ "Late at Tate – 25 Sept – MADE UP Mix". Art in Liverpool. 24 September 2008. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  8. ^ "Venues". Liverpool Biennial. Archived from the original on 12 September 2008.
  9. ^ "Made Up Mix". Tate Liverpool. Archived from the original on 16 September 2008.
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53°24′04″N 2°59′38″W / 53.401°N 2.994°W / 53.401; -2.994