South Bank Arts Centre Plans for developing the centre began in 1935, but the first building to be completed was the Royal Festival Hall - a 3,000 seat concert hall - which was a show piece for the 1951 Festival of Britain. Next came the National Film Theatre in 1956 followed by the multi complex of Hayward Gallery, Queen Elizabeth Hall and Purcell Room in 1965. These were connected by a series of concrete walkways at different levels.....
Waterloo
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Complete Modernism was the theme of the arts centre development. While there is an obvious thrill in a mini city devoted to the arts and of such a high calibre modernism appears to translate this into facing everything with raw concrete. The 60's brutality is rather disliked and schemes are in hand to upgrade the complex, possibly as a huge glass enclosure....
Like the rest of the South Bank of the Thames, grandiose schemes are imminent and Waterloo with its ne international terminal to Europe is on course to being a European development super spot. Move on to County Hall...
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