Tate Modern Designs Unveiled

Revised plans for the new wing of Londons riversise gallary were revealed by architects Herzog & de Meuron last week.

At a press briefing, Tate Director Nicholas Serota and architect Jacques Herzog said the new building, designed in 2006 as a jagged cast-glass pile, will now be a brick polygon growing out of, and resembling, the existing Tate. They denied that budget reasons were behind the change, and maintained the project's £215 million pound cost at 2012 prices.

"It's not cheaper,'' said Herzog, "It's really to make everything better: more efficient, more compact, more flexible, and more green.'' Serota added that when the July 2006 design was looked at again in January of this year, "we realized that Tate's brief had changed in a number of significant ways. We mutually agreed we should revisit the scheme.''

The three oil tanks, which were to be used as an auditorium and a performance space, become display areas, following artists' suggestions, forming the base of the new extension.The new plans will also allow Tate Modern to be more environmentally friendly by using 40 percent less energy and generate 35 percent less carbon.