The remarkable architecture and ethos of the South Bank

Sunflowerbee
1 day ago
4 min read

Whenever I used to hear the term Brutalism, I would always think immediately of the Barbican Centre. I've been there many times over the years, typically to see music concerts and dance performances but I was never a particular fan of its architectural appearance.

During the summer months of 2024, however, I happened to visit the Barbican several times for reasons beyond the usual music and dance that I usually attend. I went to a fascinating free exhibition at the Barbican Library entitled 'From the Caribbean to Coventry: Plotting the Rise of 2Tone'. I visited the Conservatory with its lush, tropical feel. I discovered that St Giles Church holds a regular second-hand book fair where I found some great reads. On a couple of occasions, I just wandered around the outdoor areas and sat down in the sunshine to listen to the fountains and watch the world go by. In summary, the Barbican has really grown on me!

And now, after attending an excellent architecture tour of the Southbank Centre, there's a new dimension to my feelings about Brutalism. We were given a warm welcome by the very knowledgeable guide, Sue, and spent a thoroughly absorbing two hours on the tour.

Royal Festival Hall

First up was the iconic Royal Festival Hall with its ballroom, auditorium, foyers, cafes, bars and roof terrace views of the River Thames.

The outside front section of the Royall Hall.

Completed in 1951 in the Modernist style as part of the Festival of Great Britain, the building was granted Grade I listing in 1981. When our guide Sue began to describe how it had been designed to resemble a cruise ship, I had the most extraordinary lightbulb moment: I realised that in all my years of visiting the Royal Festival Hall, I had never 'seen' the cruise ship and yet, as soon as Sue pointed it out, I suddenly saw it all - that external shape of the building, the sweeping staircases and banisters, the carpeting. How could I have missed something so obvious?

Queen Elizabeth Hall

Opened in 1967, Queen Elizabeth Hall was built in the Brutalist style of architecture, which is typified by extensive use of concrete and a minimal amount of decoration. Compared to its neighbour, the Royal Festival Hall, this building was constructed with very few windows, and the focus is very much on the interior.

Inside the building, we find a welcoming space where people gather before seeing performances. Brightly coloured drapery conceals a row of windows and contrasts with the colour of the concrete. Geometric shapes feature throughout and the mushroom-like concrete support columns are a striking element that is also used throughout the undercroft of the building.

The auditorium is actually a separate building from the foyer. It has a spacious, comfortable feel and atmosphere. Again, the shaping of the wall panels and the seating layout are quite geometric. The acoustics of the auditorium are classed as excellent.

The undercroft of Queen Elizabeth Hall was originally intended as a walkway but was 'adopted ' by skateboarders in 1973 who found its curved architectural shapes perfect for learning skateboard tricks. Today, it is covered in graffiti and is always a lively space, with locals and tourists stopping to watch the skateboarders and rollerskaters in action. I love drawing people in movement and had lots of fun capturing these talented skateboarders on paper one day as I was walking by.

National Theatre

A couple of months after the tour of the Royal Festival Hall and Queen Elizabeth Hall, I went on a guided tour of the National Theatre. Here we have more geometric shaping on the outside and extensive outside space for people to enjoy the views of the South Bank and the River Thames.

Our tour began in the upper area of the building. The idea of having a national theatre began in the 1800s but only became a realistic prospect when funds were released by Parliament in 1949. The building finally opened to the public in 1976.

The project was very much led by the energy of Laurence Olivier, who had been appointed Director of the theatre in 1962. When Peter Hall took over as Director in 1973, there was still much to do in order to complete the construction of the building. The final outcome was a unique mix of multiple auditoriums, foyers, bars, cafes and toilets for the public, and offices, dressing rooms and workshops for the staff.

During our tour, we visited the Olivier Theatre with the set of the Ballet Shoes in place. Underneath the stage is the famous 'drum' mechanism, which enables it to revolve and be lowered and raised. The seating layout is testament to the concept of creating an 'egalitarian' space where the actors can see all of the audience and all of the audience can see the actors.

Next, we went to the Lyttleton Theatre, with the stunning, brightly coloured set of The Importance of Being Earnest. Two actors were going through some technical checks on stage and it struck me how special it was to be there in the quietness of a theatre and observe what goes on in between the actual performances. We were then taken backstage to the area where the sets are made. We also saw the props room and the costumes sewing room. It was fascinating to be behind the scenes in a building where everything is made on site.

I have had the pleasure of going to many different types of performances in all three of these buildings over the years. I love the atmosphere, the acoustics, and the fact that wherever you sit, you are comfortable and have a good view of the stage. What a wonderful thing it is to have buildings designed around the audience experience!