Many years in a reign provide for a large group of inaugurations, in this article you will discover some of the most important museums that Elizabeth II inaugurated.
The Monarch of the United Kingdom is no longer with us. He died on September 8 at the age of 96, of which he dedicated 70 to the reign of his people. Long life, and long institutional representation that she has given for many and varied stories. But as far as we are concerned, it is good to remember some of the most impressive museums inaugurated throughout the reign of Elizabeth II.
The British Museum, one of the last of the museums inaugurated by Elizabeth II
It was the year 2000 when the monarch inaugurated a work of extraordinary dimensions. It was none other than the remodeling and adaptation of the British Museum for the 21st century. The commission was picked up by the architecture firm Foster + Partners, who covered the museum garden with a large glass dome.
During the remodeling there was time to reorganize the museum library, create information points, improve the bookstore and cafeteria, and change the Reading Room into a large exhibition space. Although, of course, the queen of the property is the glass canopy designed to save an irregular space, with great benefits by reducing the light and heat impact, without giving up the always necessary lighting.
Tate Modern Museum
The same year, the Queen opened another major museum in London, the Tate Modern. It is a 12-minute drive from the British Museum, across the Thames. Anyway, it is a remodeling of an old building, nothing more and nothing less than a power plant, the Bankside Power Station. It had not been used since 1981 and, after winning a competition, it was adapted by the well-known Herzog & de Meuron studio.
The architects’ intervention focused on respecting the design and style of the building. Thus, its envelope appears almost identical to the pre-existing one, except for the incorporation of a huge «light box». This is none other than a traditional covered patio, on the central deck. The architects added heavy handrails to the stairs, cast iron frames, and rustic wooden floors to match the original building’s era.
National Museum of Scotland
A couple of years earlier, in 1998, Elizabeth II visited Edinburgh to open the expansion of the National Museum of Scotland. A performance by the Benson + Forsyth studio that incorporated a Moray sandstone façade into the museum. Facade that Benson defined as “the oldest exhibition in the museum”, referring to its Scottish origin. The most striking element of the work is a circular tower, a clear reference to the Scottish past.
Barbican Centre
Years ago, Elizabeth II inaugurated the Barbican Center in London. It was specifically in 1982, and with its creation it became the largest art center in Western Europe. The building is a jewel of the Brutalist style, so much so that it is protected by the country’s urban planning regulations. It has a 1,943-seat concert hall, a 1,156-seat theater, several gallery spaces, cinemas, cafes and a library.
The Barbican is located in an old area of London that was practically devastated by the German bombings of the Second World War. The designers, Barbican architects Chamberlain, Powell and Bon, gave free rein to their imagination, proposing a radical transformation of the space, creating references to Roman fortresses and French modernism, Mediterranean and Scandinavian design. No wonder the queen said of the site: “It is one of the wonders of the modern world.”
Museum of London
Years ago, Elizabeth II inaugurated the Museum of London. The year was 1976 (maybe you weren’t even born), when she cut the ribbon that opened the way to the museum built by the architects Powell & Moya, better known as Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya.
These created a very unique space that can only be accessed via flyovers on the first floor, and whose innovative design arranges the galleries so that there is more than one route to view them. By the way, he is about to move to another place.
Science Museum Library
To finish this trip to the past, in 1969 the queen, together with the Duke of Edinburgh, inaugurated the Science Museum Library (now that space is the Dana Library and Research Centre).
It is noteworthy that he would return to the museum in 1988 to open the East Hall Gallery, although these would not be the only visits to the museum. Apparently one of his favorites. Museums are the most living part of our past and a balcony to our future.