For proof of the broadening of British minds in the last two decades, look at the growing multitudes that have begun to visit art galleries – and then look at how those places are being built. In the Victorian period, when the idea of a public art gallery was first invented, such places were gestures of civic pride and public improvement. As such, they were seldom modest buildings.
To later eyes, this seemed to miss the point. Was it the gallery that people were coming to see, or the things inside it? In response, Britain saw a wave of gallery building in the 1960s and 1970s that followed a passionately bland “white box” style. They were often dull, but they allowed the artists to be heard, so that was a good thing.
But it has become a strength of many recent galleries to put ideology aside and include a bit of both. At the same time, the role that cultural centres can play in regenerating a rundown area (though sometimes overstated) has brought a rush of money in to build them. As a result, galleries have begun to spring up with a real sense of purpose. Artists are being considered, of course, but so is the setting, often leading to innovative designs that part-convert old buildings or reflect existing structures. Some can stop you in your tracks. Art galleries are places of emotion and transcendence, after all; they must never be mistaken for the regional tax office. Sadly, given the state of the public finances, these ones may have to last us for a while.
1. Tate St Ives, Cornwall
A beautiful response to an unusual problem: how to build a major contemporary art gallery in a small seaside town. With its curving beachfront entrance and bleached nonconformist looks, the building both reflects St Ives and contributes to it – as the local tourism board could attest.
2. Nottingham Contemporary, Nottingham
The site for this new gallery was neither flat nor square, yet the architects Caruso St John have made a virtue of this by building a complex of four linked spaces. With a bold but elegant exterior, decorated with a lace pattern referencing the market that used to fill the area, it is a fine example of how a new building can simultaneously fit in and stand out.
3. Baltic Centre, Gateshead
As successful, large and distinctive a conversion project as you will ever see. By repurposing a disused flour mill, Baltic has made far more difference to Gateshead than the Tate Modern ever made to London. The viewing box on the top floor is particularly inspired.
4. The New Art Gallery, Walsall
Everybody knows that an exciting new gallery can help put an unfashionable town on the map, yet this building proves that it can actually be popular as well. A large cuboid covered with terracotta tiles, it works so well by avoiding the temptation to be “fun”.
5. Lisson Gallery, London
This strikingly simple, small building demands attention. By letting daylight illuminate its collections, and declaring its modernity with metal and glass, it is both daringly conspicuous and utterly functional.