Turner Art Gallery, Margate

The Turner Contemporary gallery in Margate offers the same views over the harbour that would have inspired William Turner.

“It had to be a building that balanced architectural merit with function and flexibility as an exhibition space, and one that ideally made use of the legendary natural light.” Victoria Pomery, Director, Turner Contemporary.

The gallery is composed of six identical sections with mono-pitched roofs to provide north light into all the upper level galleries. A cantilevered balcony over the ground floor gallery allows visitors to enjoy spectacular views out to sea. The cladding material is white opaque glass, chosen because its surface reacts well to changing light conditions and it can withstand the harshness of the marine environment.

Different mixes of concrete were specified by the main contractor for a variety of applications that vary from understated and functional to striking and emotive. The gallery rests on a concrete plinth to avoid flooding; the steps rising to the entrance court are bordered by foreboding concrete retaining walls and the galleries have exposed concrete floors.

Once occupied the building has many features which help reduce environmental impact including: Thermal zoning, the provision of renewable energy through a ground source heat pump to supplement gas boilers, responsive lighting, with zoning to allow separate controls and thereby control energy consumption, and water limiters in all sanitary facilities.

The build was completed with sustainability and the environment in mind and achieved a BREEAM rating of ‘Very Good’.