When you visit Tate Modern, you're stepping into one of those rare spaces where industrial heritage meets contemporary art in the most unexpected way. The building itself tells half the story – this massive brick structure along the Thames was actually Bankside Power Station until 1981, designed by the same architect who gave us the red telephone box.

Walking through those enormous doors for the first time is quite something. The Turbine Hall stretches out like a cathedral of concrete and steel, and it's here that you realize why Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron won the competition to transform this place. They didn't try to hide what it used to be; instead, they celebrated it.

The permanent collection flows across multiple floors, and honestly, it can feel overwhelming. You'll find everything from Picasso and Matisse to more recent works that might puzzle or provoke you. That's the thing about Tate Modern – it doesn't hold your hand. Some pieces will stop you in your tracks, others might leave you scratching your head wondering if your five-year-old could have done better.

What strikes me most is how the space itself becomes part of the experience. Those massive windows frame London's skyline perfectly, and you'll catch glimpses of St. Paul's Cathedral across the river that remind you where you are. The building's industrial bones are everywhere – exposed brick, soaring ceilings, steel beams that once supported heavy machinery.

Discover all the secrets of Tate Modern with our complete London audio guide to get deeper insights into both the artworks and the fascinating transformation of this power station into one of the world's most visited art museums.

The crowds can be intense, especially around the big-name pieces, but there are always quieter corners where you can sit with a particular work and really look at it. Free admission helps, of course – it means you can pop in for an hour without feeling like you need to see everything to get your money's worth.

Getting there is straightforward enough. Blackfriars station is the closest, though the walk from London Bridge isn't bad either, especially if you fancy crossing the Millennium Bridge. The museum recovered remarkably well after the pandemic closures, pulling in nearly four million visitors in 2023, which tells you something about its magnetic pull in the art world.