Turner Contemporary is an art gallery in Margate, Kent, England, intended as a contemporary arts space and catalyst for the regeneration of the town. The title commemorates the association of the town with noted landscape painter J. M. W. Turner, who went to school there, and visited throughout his life. The original designs by Norwegian architects Snøhetta would have made the gallery part of the harbour itself. Some critics, however, questioned the prudence of placing part of Britain's national art treasures in a spot that is exposed to the full fury of the North Sea. The costs of the original design, and controversy over the decision to change its structure from concrete to steel, have led to a legal battle, in an attempt to recover some of the costs. It was later moved to a plot of land adjacent to the harbour, on the site of a boarding house where Turner once stayed. The building was designed by David Chipperfield, whose design for the 3 storey, high gallery has been criticized for being "alien, brutal and bleak". It was built on the raised promenade following a flood risk analysis. Construction started in 2008, and was completed for opening in April 2011, at a cost of £17.5 million. The gallery opened on 16 April 2011. 14,000 people visited in the first weekend and 500,000 in its first year. In August 2013 the gallery received its millionth visitor. The scheme has been supported by the artistTracey Emin, who was brought up in Margate and opened it, and various funding bodies including Kent County Council, with a £6.4 million contribution, Thanet District Council, who provided the land, South East England Development Agency, who provided £4 million, the Arts Council England with support to the value of £4.1 million and the European Union. It is the largest dedicated visual arts venue in Kent. It is a registered charity under English law. In November 2011, the venue received an award from the British Guild of Travel Writers, for an outstanding tourism project. Queen Elizabeth II visited Turner Contemporary on 11 November 2011, as part of a wider trip to Margate. The gallery has been criticised for emphasising cultural consumption and economic regeneration to the detriment of local residents. In particular, research points out that, despite claims to anchor creative production, Turner Contemporary has failed to engage with local artists, and that the gallery underpins the erosion of the town's local peculiarity leading to concerns that "the features of the ‘traditional’ seaside were threatened by regeneration, and that the town may become a highly gentrified locale like, for example, parts of Brighton or Whitstable."
