Giant mecha turd or tasteful extension?
The twisty poo-hewed extension to Tate Modern has won planning approval from Southwark Council. The £215 million edifice will provide extra galleries for the venue, which often operates at more than twice its design capacity.
Herzog and de Meuron’s scheme is attracting mixed opinions. Some find its colours and lines a neat match for the parent building, while adding a modern twist. Others think it resembles a giant mecha turd. Still others (well, us), think both at the same time. Whatever your opinion, it looks like this is getting built. And soon. The gallery are confident it can be completed by 2012, and a third of the money has already been raised.
But the most important question: what do we call the blighter? No building in London – from Big Ben to the Gherkin – is complete without a nickname and ‘Tate Modern Extension’ is too unwieldy. Check out images of the building from different angles, then stick your suggestions in the comments.
