The Tate in London has announced that the long-awaited extension of Tate Modern is scheduled to open on 17 June next year. The project’s cost is now estimated at £260m, 21% higher than the £215m figure given in 2012. Most of the increase is due to inflation in construction costs and for additional work on the existing building. The largest funder is the government, which is providing £50m; most of the rest comes from private donors. The gallery still needs to raise the final £30m. Nicholas Serota, the Tate’s director, says he is confident that this will be achieved. The Tate has asked for an extra £6m a year in grant-in-aid for additional running costs. The extension is due to expand Tate Modern’s display space by 60%. In 2014/15, the gallery had 5.7 million visitors; with the extension, the figure is expected to rise to more than
six million.