Tate Britain to get 'garden classroom'

Plans for the museum include a "garden classroom" and new outdoor spaces

Tate Britain will build new Mediterranean and East Asian-inspired green spaces and a "garden classroom" for children.

The proposal, which was approved by Westminster City Council, will transform the gallery's Millbank entrance by replacing the existing open spaces with a large and biodiverse public garden.

Architects Feilden Fowles, working for the gallery, said the project was a "comprehensive redesign" which focused on "softening" the gallery's external appearance.

Tom Stuart-Smith, whose studio was lead designer for the gardens, said the new layout would result in a landscape that evolved throughout the year, "connecting people with nature's cycles".

'Where everyone belongs'

The museum will install a Mediterranean-inspired garden to the south as well as a new natural pond, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The north section will consist of a green space which "takes cues from East Asian woodland planting".

This will include a water feature, event space and an expanded area for external café seating, according to the planning application.

A garden classroom for schools, community groups and volunteers will also be built.

The garden classroom will be used by the thousands of schoolchildren visiting the museum

Tate Britain's director Maria Balshaw told councillors the proposal was an "exceptional opportunity" to transform the front of the museum.

She said: "Within Tate, we know not everyone feels museums are for them, but with the creation of this special garden space, it will allow us to extend a different kind of welcome.

"The new garden will help break down barriers for those visitors who find the steps intimidating. It will help welcome them to the museum and signal clearly that Tate Britain is a place where everyone belongs."

All five members of the city council's Planning Committee approved the plans but asked the Tate to employ Westminster residents to participate in the redevelopment.

Tate Britain is the oldest of the four Tate galleries and welcomes about 1m visitors a year, including more than 200,000 schoolchildren, according to the application.

Westminster City Council's Licensing Committee will meet on 30 September to review the application.