Staff at Tate Liverpool set the stage for a £29.7m refurbishment of the famous gallery

Hundreds of people paid one last visit to Tate Liverpool ahead of its two-year closure for a major refurb.

Workshops, performances, tours and talks were taking place over the weekend before the famous gallery, at the Royal Albert Dock, undergoes a £29.7m transformation.

During the closure the Tate will open up a temporary gallery space at Royal Institute of British Architects in nearby Mann Island.

Teh building refurbishment will see a new public ‘Art Hall’ being created along with a new events space on the ground floor and public foyers created on the river-side of the building

It will also be adapted to accommodate bigger, more complex art installations and exhibitions and will let in much more natural light with the surrounding waterfront visible from the building.

Helen Legg, Director, Tate Liverpool, said: “After 35 years of success in Liverpool and 20 million visitors, the time is right to invest in the next phase of the gallery. We want to do even more for our visitors, our city, and art by transforming this utterly unique gallery complex.

“Whilst we are embracing renewal, we are determined to retain and celebrate the world-class heritage of this remarkable 180-year building, whilst at the same time addressing today’s urgent demands for equality of access, energy efficiency, and flexible spaces for future generations.”

Tate Liverpool, opened in 1988, has seen more than 20 million visitors and is the most visited contemporary art gallery outside London.