Secondary Research

Southbank Centre is a complex of artistic venues in London, England, on the South Bank of the River Thames. It comprises three main performance venues, together with the Hayward Gallery, and is Europe’s largest centre for the arts. The south bank of the River Thames was historically beyond the control of the London guilds and therefore an attractive location for commercial and industrial uses. By the time of the Second World War however, this central part of London was becoming an embarrassment to the City’s architects and planners at the London County Council, just north of Westminster Bridge. The south bank was also heavily bomb damaged by 1945 due to its location near to Waterloo Station. The London County Council therefore created plans in 1943 and 1945 for the transformation and total reconstruction of the area as a grand new cultural quarter, linked by a promenade along the river bank.

The crucial legacy of the Southbank Centre is in memories: in the recollections of the architects, builders and craftspeople who gave these structures form; the artists, performers, technicians, and programmers who filled these spaces with art and music; but most importantly in the enjoyment of audiences hungry for new experiences, inspiration, and delight. These buildings were made for artists and audiences, and it is people who give them life.

Project Two - The Observer This page is part of the collection 'Part 2 Illustration'.

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