200m of rectilinear façade bordering the River Thames, 4.2 million brown bricks, a chimney resembling a church tower and a former turbine hall evoking a cathedral nave; such is a summary of the huge Bankside former electric power station. A glazed superstructure and vast bays allow light to pour into an interior designed by Swiss architects Herzog and Meuren, which was opened in 2000. Since then it has established itself as one of the world’s most important modern art museums.