Rick Mather Southbank Masterplan Phase 1 complete

  Site in 1999
Improvements achieved by 2007

With the installation of the new exterior lift between Southbank Centre Square and the Festival Terrace, Phase 1 of the Rick Mather Southbank Centre Masterplan is complete.

Since Rick Mather Architects were announced as the Masterplanner for Southbank Centre in 1999, the following improvements to the site have been achieved in line with the masterplan proposals:

1. Removal of the Belvedere Road side high-level walkway in front of the Royal Festival Hall forming the basis for the new Southbank Centre Square (1999).
2 New active frontage to the Belvedere Road facade of the Royal Festival Hall with the opening of Festival Cafe (2003). Completion of Southbank Centre Square (2007).
3. Discreet new production and catering servicing for the Royal Festival Hall alongside and within the arches of the Hungerford viaduct (2003).
4. New grand route between Southbank Centre Square and the Golden Jubilee Bridge lined with active frontage (2003)
5. Removal of the major portions of the old service road from around the Royal Festival Hall liberating the building and forming the basis for three new open spaces. (2003)
6. Completion of the new Festival Riverside landscape and frontage at level 1 of the Royal Festival Hall (2005)
7. New Southbank Centre building alongside Hungerford viaduct, liberating the Royal Festival Hall of offices and meeting rooms for new public uses (2007).
8. Completion of the Southbank Centre Square (2007).

Next Steps
9. Space made available beneath Hungerford Bridge by the elimination of the service lane being developed for new uses. Public realm improvements (better connection between levels).
10. Masterplan for the 1960s buildings (and spaces beneath Waterloo Bridge adjacent to the IMAX). New service yard.

 

 

The removal of the service road alongside the Royal Festival Hall makes way for the active new Festival Riverside (2005)

 


Removal of the high level walkway and service roads and introduction of the new cafe's forms the newly completed Southbank Centre Square (2007)

 


The new vehicle servicing solution from within the Hungerford arches allows the grand new route up to Jubilee Bridge(2003) and the new Southbank Centre Building (2007)

 

 
Background
Rick Mather Architects became masterplanner for Southbank in 1999 through a major international competition.

The masterplan provides a framework for the improvement and extension of existing cultural facilities and public realm for Europe's largest cultural venue, at this important central London site. The Southbank Centre site includes the Royal Festival Hall, the Hayward Gallery, the Queen Elizabeth Hall, the Purcell Room, and the British Film Institute (comprising the National Film Theatre, the Museum of the Moving Image and the BFI library). After continuing development and refinement of the masterplan, many of the proposals have been agreed or implemented with Phase One completed and Phase Two is currently underway.

Allies and Morrison has worked as House Architects since 1992 and were appointed to develop the overall concept design for the renovation and restoration of the Royal Festival Hall in 1996.

Gross:Max were appointed in 2003 to develop landscape designs for the open spaces around the Royal Festival Hall as defined in the Rick Mather masterplan. Spiers and Major were appointed as lighting designers as part of the Gross:Max landscape appointment.
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