The gallery stands on the city embankment - where in the 19th century the guesthouse was located, where William Turner stayed for a long time. Visitors to the new building will now be able to enjoy the sea view that opens from its windows. But Turner Contemporary will not become a museum of the great landscape painter: the public organization of the same name will hold exhibitions, master classes and courses there, mainly in the field of contemporary art.
Nevertheless, the connection with the artistic past of Margita in the idea of construction is emphasized not only for the sake of originality: the customers want to attract artists, curators and the public interested in art to the city, whose fame of the resort has faded over the past decades, turning it into a mini-Bilbao.
Chipperfield himself emphasizes that he could never have designed a "clown building" that attracts attention with its "strange" appearance. His project is a series of glass blocks reminiscent of typical coastal structures such as boat sheds. A solid shell of thick translucent glass should protect the building from the changing British maritime climate: high humidity, winds and storms are dangerous for any structure.
The interior - halls with concrete floors, white walls and huge windows overlooking the sea (the building is facing north, so the light will not harm the exhibits) - should remind more of the artist's workshop than a museum, since at Turner Contemporary there will be more exhibit but also create. A special task for the architect was the maximum "simplification" of the lobby: according to Chipperfield, in modern galleries and museums they often resemble airport terminals - with cafes, shops and other "establishments". Therefore, in Margita, the halls from the front door are separated only by a strict room, where a panoramic window dominates, and the obligatory cafe is hidden in the corner.
The construction budget was modest by European standards 17.5 million pounds, which also determined the simplicity of the project. Chipperfield's version replaced the one proposed earlier
project "Snøhetta": Norwegian architects wanted to build a museum at the very end of the embankment that closes the harbor, practically among the waves. Such a bold decision was very difficult from a technical point of view, moreover, the budget of 55 million was too large for the customer.
