Architects in the United Kingdom have been subjected to a month of monumental highs and lows. After Herzog & de Meuron?s Tate Modern extension (known as Switch House) opened Friday, June 17, the following Thursday, June 23, the country proclaimed its (ill-planned) desire to leave the European Union. It would be easy to see the two events as separate, with no obvious overlap. But in fact the Tate seems to have an odd symbiosis with the Brexit decision - if in no other way than by promoting a vision emphatically against it.

© Laurian Ghinitoiu

Architects in the United Kingdom have been subjected to a month of monumental highs and lows. After Herzog & de Meuron?s Tate Modern extension (known as Switch House) opened Friday, June 17, the following Thursday, June 23, the country proclaimed its (ill-planned) desire to leave the European Union. It would be easy to see the two events as separate, with no obvious overlap. But in fact the Tate seems to have an odd symbiosis with the Brexit decision - if in no other way than by promoting a vision emphatically against it.Making the Tate Modern
© Laurian Ghinitoiu

Chatter of the Tate Modern?s expansion began in the mid-aughts, years earlier than had been originally forecasted based on visitor projections. The original building, which opened in May of 2000 and is now known as Boiler House, was anticipated to have 2 million annual visitors. Just over a month after opening, the museum had already receiv...