Charles Saatchi gallery may rival Tate

LONDON, Feb. 17 (UPI) -- British collector Charles Saatchi is planning a 15-room private gallery of contemporary art in London that could rival the nearby Tate museum.

The Sunday Times of London said with 50,000 square feet to fill with Saatchi's collected artistic works, the London facility could soon represent the largest private gallery in the world.

Saatchi, whose last London gallery closed in 2005, will not charge visitors to look at his collection.

"Free entry can only help spread the interest in contemporary art," Saatchi said.

The Sunday Times said unlike the Tate, which targets artistic works created since 1900, Saatchi's gallery will focus primarily on contemporary works.

The new gallery will officially open this spring but the 64-year-old collector is already featuring nearly 100 works from 30 contemporary artists from China, the British newspaper said.