Since it opened in May 2000, Tate Modern has attracted more than twenty million visitors. In only five years, it has drawn attention to a previously undeveloped area of London and has created 1,000 new jobs, generating £26 million per annum for London as a whole. It has become a new landmark for the capital, and its programme and architecture have won international claim.
Tate Modern: The First Five Years is a specially commissioned collection of essays examining various aspects of the impact of Tate Modern. With an introduction by Tate Director Nicholas Serota, the contributors are Martin Gayford, John Holden, Rowan Moore, the Rt Hon Chris Smith, Jon Snow and Tony Travers, each of whom analyses Tate Modern's distinctive contributions to the nation's cultural life.