As an architect, it is hard to be objective. Brutalism is not my favourite form, nevertheless I recognise all the merits listed. And the one that counts for more, in my mind, is sll the memories the South Bank complex carries. Part of so many people's childhood introduction to art and music and novelty, it is now a vintage piece. And you can't tear down memories, they become part of the building - the structure being more than the sum of its structural parts
Pleased to hear this, Rosie! I love the South Bank Centre. So much on offer there culturally and the foyers are such good spaces to meet up or pass time. Very family-friendly.
A special and favourite place for many reasons, including two of my favourite ever gigs, but as much for the pleasure of taking our daughter there when she was young and her getting to know London from that base
Elisabeth Fraser in 2012ish, John Grant with Midlake as his backing band, and in 2011, and Afro Cuban Allstars. I wrote about the circumstances of going to the latter as it involved quite an odd coincidence
Completely agree, Rosie – I love the Southbank Centre. I didn't grow up in London but I've been singing in concerts there, attending other people's concerts and foyer performances, going to exhibitions, eating, drinking, having meetings, shopping and just hanging out there ever since I moved to London for my first job after graduating. You are so right about all its strengths, plus I'd emphasise the light everywhere. That's what makes the foyers so much more appealing than the Barbican's. The Bridgewater Hall and Symphony Hall try to create the same atmosphere but just can't do it, because they don't have the right sort of architecture, nor the footfall for a daytime buzz. The fairly recent changes to the QEH/Purcell Room foyer are brilliant, they've really warmed it up with that nice coppery glow. I now live in Wales and my Souuthbank Centre membership is very precious to me as the members' bar is a perfect place to kill time between an afternoon meeting and a performance. The only refinement I'd like is for cloakrooms to be open during the day and later after concerts, but they don't have the resources to staff that. And it's a big problem that they are dark on Mondays so the public spaces are not accessible - they really need to sort that out. But to return to the positive - I remember once sitting in one of the upper foyers watching a large family celebrating a birthday, with a mix of ages eating and drinking and several toddlers running around. They've been able to commandeer such a huge, safe space without bothering anyone else. I can't think of any other indoor space where that would be possible or so successful. It's just brilliant.
Wonderful news indeed, and those buildings were part of many years of my life after moving to London from northeast England in 1974. For my first four years in the city, every working day, I would cross the old Hungerford Bridge, then weave my way through them as a shortcut to reach the Forensics Lab in Cornwall House, just on the south side of Waterloo Bridge. A couple of decades later, I watched my son's graduation ceremony in the Queen Elizabeth Hall. A couple of years later I stumbled upon the wonderful 'Wot no Fish' exhibition there and some months later attended a talk by David Braverman, the nephew of the talented Ab Solomons. Some years before that, I visited the now sadly long-gone Museum of the Moving Image tucked close to the Hayward Gallery. I've celebrated more than one New Year's Eve there, feasted in the food market tucked behind the Festival Hall and, at the other end of the dining spectrum, enjoyed many flavoursome meals at Skylon. All in all, some five decades of memories.
Being taken to the South Bank Centre as a kid, whether to concerts or exhibitions or just to hang out in the Festival Hall foyer or National Film Theatre bar told this south London girl that culture was for everyone. And the glorious night-time neon-lit shimmer of it from halfway across Hungerford Bridge makes my heart sing.
As a very occasional Scottish visitor to London, I absolutely love the South Bank Centre. Very special memories of being at a national Suzuki Method event there with my children. It was such a humane space for all the young people between rehearsals and performance - totally relaxing.
There's a wonderful book about the Festival of Britain called A Tonic to the Nation. Out of print now but available second hand. The chapter on the Far Tottering and Oyster Creek Railway by its designer Rowland Emett is very funny.
In terms of fuddy-duddies, Churchill was vehemently against the Festival of Britain, and when the Tories came into power in autumn 1951, the Festival site was demolished to make a garden celebrating the Coronation. As A Tonic to the Nation put it, "an appropriate Tory version of the public spectacular to succeed the socialist Festival of Britain"
I think the post war ambition of design expressed in the South Bank and Barbican is much appreciated by folk now in their early elderly age group, like me, who brought our children there for free, or to see shows, use libraries and foyers out of the rain where they could run about or see a show. Easy to use and a destination that wasn’t a shopping mall.
These are important places. Their architecture was concrete and the context was after care that retrieved a landscape of bomb sites everywhere.
I wrote a recent post about why I like the Brutalist Barbican estate (link above). It's interesting that we both felt a need to write about and defend public Brutalist buildings (from another perspective it isn't).
I like the Southbank centre architecture, but I also wouldn't want it to be any larger that it is or for more public buildings to be in this style.
A fantastic college! I went to Prep School in Massachusetts for a year (on an English Speaking Union scholarship) and it was hugely renowned. Ivy League etc.
I agree. A wonderful college! We lived 5 minutes by car near it. That’s so exciting to hear! I’m so glad you got to experience MA and enjoyed your time here.
As an architect, it is hard to be objective. Brutalism is not my favourite form, nevertheless I recognise all the merits listed. And the one that counts for more, in my mind, is sll the memories the South Bank complex carries. Part of so many people's childhood introduction to art and music and novelty, it is now a vintage piece. And you can't tear down memories, they become part of the building - the structure being more than the sum of its structural parts
Indeed. Thank you Maria
Pleased to hear this, Rosie! I love the South Bank Centre. So much on offer there culturally and the foyers are such good spaces to meet up or pass time. Very family-friendly.
You should know! Thanks for this Wendy
A special and favourite place for many reasons, including two of my favourite ever gigs, but as much for the pleasure of taking our daughter there when she was young and her getting to know London from that base
Which were the gigs?
Elisabeth Fraser in 2012ish, John Grant with Midlake as his backing band, and in 2011, and Afro Cuban Allstars. I wrote about the circumstances of going to the latter as it involved quite an odd coincidence
https://markdiacono.substack.com/p/grey-skies-juan-de-marcos-gonzalez
Great story!Astonishing!
Isn’t it ridiculous! It still feels like it must’ve been a dream
Completely agree, Rosie – I love the Southbank Centre. I didn't grow up in London but I've been singing in concerts there, attending other people's concerts and foyer performances, going to exhibitions, eating, drinking, having meetings, shopping and just hanging out there ever since I moved to London for my first job after graduating. You are so right about all its strengths, plus I'd emphasise the light everywhere. That's what makes the foyers so much more appealing than the Barbican's. The Bridgewater Hall and Symphony Hall try to create the same atmosphere but just can't do it, because they don't have the right sort of architecture, nor the footfall for a daytime buzz. The fairly recent changes to the QEH/Purcell Room foyer are brilliant, they've really warmed it up with that nice coppery glow. I now live in Wales and my Souuthbank Centre membership is very precious to me as the members' bar is a perfect place to kill time between an afternoon meeting and a performance. The only refinement I'd like is for cloakrooms to be open during the day and later after concerts, but they don't have the resources to staff that. And it's a big problem that they are dark on Mondays so the public spaces are not accessible - they really need to sort that out. But to return to the positive - I remember once sitting in one of the upper foyers watching a large family celebrating a birthday, with a mix of ages eating and drinking and several toddlers running around. They've been able to commandeer such a huge, safe space without bothering anyone else. I can't think of any other indoor space where that would be possible or so successful. It's just brilliant.
Brilliant points, thanks so much Claire
Spot on, Rosie, the entire Southbank is an architectural and cultural gem.
The poured concrete forms into softwood frames are gorgeous throughout, and change in every light.
I know. Just lovely. Not brutal!
Another fan here!
Wonderful news indeed, and those buildings were part of many years of my life after moving to London from northeast England in 1974. For my first four years in the city, every working day, I would cross the old Hungerford Bridge, then weave my way through them as a shortcut to reach the Forensics Lab in Cornwall House, just on the south side of Waterloo Bridge. A couple of decades later, I watched my son's graduation ceremony in the Queen Elizabeth Hall. A couple of years later I stumbled upon the wonderful 'Wot no Fish' exhibition there and some months later attended a talk by David Braverman, the nephew of the talented Ab Solomons. Some years before that, I visited the now sadly long-gone Museum of the Moving Image tucked close to the Hayward Gallery. I've celebrated more than one New Year's Eve there, feasted in the food market tucked behind the Festival Hall and, at the other end of the dining spectrum, enjoyed many flavoursome meals at Skylon. All in all, some five decades of memories.
What wonderful memories Harry! Thank you
Being taken to the South Bank Centre as a kid, whether to concerts or exhibitions or just to hang out in the Festival Hall foyer or National Film Theatre bar told this south London girl that culture was for everyone. And the glorious night-time neon-lit shimmer of it from halfway across Hungerford Bridge makes my heart sing.
Hoorah! And for being a South London girl!!
As a very occasional Scottish visitor to London, I absolutely love the South Bank Centre. Very special memories of being at a national Suzuki Method event there with my children. It was such a humane space for all the young people between rehearsals and performance - totally relaxing.
There's a wonderful book about the Festival of Britain called A Tonic to the Nation. Out of print now but available second hand. The chapter on the Far Tottering and Oyster Creek Railway by its designer Rowland Emett is very funny.
In terms of fuddy-duddies, Churchill was vehemently against the Festival of Britain, and when the Tories came into power in autumn 1951, the Festival site was demolished to make a garden celebrating the Coronation. As A Tonic to the Nation put it, "an appropriate Tory version of the public spectacular to succeed the socialist Festival of Britain"
Philistines. Just appalling.
I have many happy memories there from being a child and I’m sure there are more to come.
Hope so! Thanks Margaret
Couldn’t agree more. Beautiful building.
I think the post war ambition of design expressed in the South Bank and Barbican is much appreciated by folk now in their early elderly age group, like me, who brought our children there for free, or to see shows, use libraries and foyers out of the rain where they could run about or see a show. Easy to use and a destination that wasn’t a shopping mall.
These are important places. Their architecture was concrete and the context was after care that retrieved a landscape of bomb sites everywhere.
Absolutely. Beautifully expressed Liz, thankyou!
https://open.substack.com/pub/dansilva01/p/why-i-like-the-brutalist-barbican?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=kq0tl
I wrote a recent post about why I like the Brutalist Barbican estate (link above). It's interesting that we both felt a need to write about and defend public Brutalist buildings (from another perspective it isn't).
I like the Southbank centre architecture, but I also wouldn't want it to be any larger that it is or for more public buildings to be in this style.
I'm not always a fan of Brutalism, but I do love this building, and it deserves the protection. Thanks for the great read.
What a lovely message, thanks Tabish
This is such good news, Maria. Hurray for the South Bank Centre! 🎉🎉
I love its inclusivity, the acoustics in all the spaces, and the graffiti art outside.
This building looks very much like the college my daughter graduated from. The architecture grew on me. There is something very special about it.
Where was the college Deborah?
UMASS Dartmouth in Dartmouth, Massachusetts USA
A fantastic college! I went to Prep School in Massachusetts for a year (on an English Speaking Union scholarship) and it was hugely renowned. Ivy League etc.
I agree. A wonderful college! We lived 5 minutes by car near it. That’s so exciting to hear! I’m so glad you got to experience MA and enjoyed your time here.
Life changing. I LOVED it.