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Turner Contemporary · Margate, UK

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Name: Turner Contemporary
Images: Ståle Eriksen
Words: Steph Wade

The ‘Turner Contemporary’ gallery, situated on the Margate seafront in England’s southeast coast, has recently reopened to the public following a renovation project designed by David Chipperfield Architects. To complement the existing gallery space, the London-based Daytrip.studio has designed a sleek retail space within its walls, offering artworks, design objects, and print publications for sale.

The new edition enhances the art gallery and its offering as a thriving destination on the Southern coastline. The retail space is deliberately minimal and low-key, with a material palette that is consistent with the gallery spaces; poured screed flooring, linear glazing, and a prominent ribbed concrete ceiling. With views out to the English Sea, the building is designed to be flexible to accommodate changing needs, such as for workshops or events. Vertical shelves display artworks, prints, and posters, and are backed by translucent layers of fiberglass. “It was felt that the new renovation should not only relate to the architecture, but should reflect J. W. Turner’s admiration for Margate; the surrounding landscape and light qualities, as well as speak to the community and enhance a local narrative that is rich with creativity,” explains Iwan Halstead, director of Daytrip.studio. The venue is one of the country’s most prominent cultural destinations outside of London, and is worth the trip to see its world-renowned art.