Tate Modern viewing platform invades privacy of flats, supreme court rules
Residents of luxurious flats opposite the iconic Tate Modern’s viewing gallery are entitled to their privacy, the Supreme Court has declared. In a decisive ruling, the decision laid out that these home owners have been facing an “ongoing, visual disruption” which prevents them from utilizing and reveling in the use of their homes – introducing the law of privacy even in extreme circumstances.
The case relates to five owners of four properties at the Neo Bankside development in London who filed a lawsuit against the Tate due to the over half million people visiting the platform each year, with a direct view into their transparent abodes located 34 meters away. When this public platform opened for business in 2016, it was four years after the homes were completed.
This outcome of the Supreme Court ruling has been long-awaited and is likely to serve as a benchmark for tenants’ privacy issues – possibly resulting in thousands of local disputes. As the decision does not include any solution yet, it will be up for deliberation in the High Court and could result in either an injunction or damages given to the owners.
