For other uses, see South Bank (disambiguation).

The National Theatre is one of the collection of arts buildings on the South Bank. The Royal National Theatre, located on the South Bank in the London Borough of Lambeth, England. The London Television Centre tower can be glimpsed at left.

A later example of Brutalist architecture, the appearance of the National Theatre remains controversial, and it was once likened to a "nuclear power station" by Prince Charles. The term Brutalist Architecture originates from the French Béton brut, or "raw concrete" a term used by Le Corbusier to describe The Royal National Theatre, located on the South Bank in the London Borough of Lambeth, England.

The South Bank is the area in London on the southern bank of the River Thames near Waterloo station that houses a number of important cultural buildings/institutions. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The Thames ( is a major River flowing through southern England. The South Bank stretches 2 square miles (5 square kilometres) along the shores of the River Thames. The Thames ( is a major River flowing through southern England. It was the site of the 1951 Festival of Britain, which proposed the name for this post-war urban regeneration project; the ancient name of the area is Lambeth Marsh and Lower Marsh. Year 1951 ( MCMLI) was a Common year starting on Monday. Events of 1951 January The Festival of Britain was a national exhibition which opened in London and around Britain in May 1951 Presently it is London's fastest-growing section, a locale of modern cultural centre with numerous theatre, gallery, and concert halls. Theatre (or theater, see spelling differences) is the branch of the Performing arts defined by Bernard Beckerman as what "occurs when one A concert hall is a cultural building which serves as performance venue chiefly for classical instrumental music The legacy of the Festival is the Royal Festival Hall, now part of Southbank Centre arts complex. Royal Festival Hall is a concert dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London, England. Southbank Centre is a complex of artistic venues located in London, UK, on the South Bank of the River Thames between County Hall The area is split between the boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark (for the part of the riverside which stretches towards Blackfriars Bridge; the riverside beyond that point is properly Bankside. The London Borough of Lambeth ( is a London borough in South London, England and forms part of Inner London. The London Borough of Southwark ( is a London borough in south east London, England. Bankside is an area in Southwark, London, on the southern bank of the River Thames, situated between Blackfriars Bridge to the west and )

Since then, the Queen Elizabeth Hall and Purcell Room were opened in 1967 (on the site of a former Shot Tower), The Hayward in 1968, and the National Theatre in 1976. The Queen Elizabeth Hall ( QEH) is a Music venue on the South Bank in London, England that hosts daily classical, Jazz The Purcell Room is a concert and performance venue which forms part of the Southbank Centre, one of central London 's leading cultural complexes Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. The Shot Tower at the Lambeth Lead Works was a Shot tower that stood on the South Bank of the River Thames in London, England The Hayward is an Art gallery within the Southbank Centre, part of an area of major arts venues on the South Bank of the River Thames Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Royal National Theatre, located on the South Bank in the London Borough of Lambeth, England. Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Nearby are the National Film Theatre and the BFI IMAX cinema. BFI Southbank (formerly known as the National Film Theatre) is the leading Repertory cinema in the UK specialising in seasons of classic independent King's College London has a campus in the centre. King's College London is a British Higher education institution and co-founding constituent college of the federal University of London.

Adjacent to the National Theatre is the distinctive white tower of the London Weekend Television (LWT) building, where (among other things) the long-running television Arts programme The South Bank Show is produced. Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic The South Bank Show is an award-winning Television arts magazine show made by London Weekend Television, presented by Melvyn Bragg, broadcast Carlton Television and GMTV have also broadcast from the building since 1993, and it is now called The London Television Centre. Carlton Television is the British ITV franchisee for London and parts of the surrounding counties from 925am every Monday to 5 GMTV ( Good Morning Television) is the national ITV Breakfast television contractor broadcasting in the United Kingdom. The London Studios (also known as 'The London Television Centre' is a television studio complex which forms a part of London Weekend Television 's London Television Centre

Much of the area was subject to various large scale commercial development plans in the 1970s–1980s, which were successfully opposed by community groups. The renovation of the Oxo Tower and development of mixed housing developments and open space by community groups have encouraged the regeneration of the community in the area. The OXO Tower is a building with a prominent tower on the south bank of the River Thames in London.

The London Eye on the South Bank

To the west of the RFH, beyond the railway viaduct leading up to Hungerford Bridge, is a public open space called Jubilee Gardens, separating it from nearby County Hall (Incidentally, the County Hall now houses a hotel — the Marriott London County Hall). The London Eye, also known as the Millennium Wheel, is the tallest (its height is) Ferris wheel in Europe, and has become the most popular paid tourist A viaduct is a Bridge composed of several small spans The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to The Hungerford Bridge crosses the River Thames in London, and lies between Waterloo Bridge and Westminster Bridge. The Jubilee Gardens is a Public park in South Bank, London which was created in 1977 to mark the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II. County Hall (sometimes called London County Hall LCH is a building in Lambeth, London, that was the headquarters of London County Council and later the By County Hall is the large observation wheel built to celebrate the 2000 Millennium, the London Eye. A Ferris wheel (also known as an observation wheel or big wheel) is a Nonbuilding structure consisting of an upright wheel with passenger gondolas attached The London Eye, also known as the Millennium Wheel, is the tallest (its height is) Ferris wheel in Europe, and has become the most popular paid tourist

To the east of the South Bank is the adjoining area of Bankside, deriving its name from one of the medieval causeways built to hold back the Thames. Bankside is an area in Southwark, London, on the southern bank of the River Thames, situated between Blackfriars Bridge to the west and Bankside is home to the Tate Modern art gallery and the reproduction of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre and, near London Bridge, Borough Market. The Tate Modern in London is Britain 's national museum of international Modern art and is with Tate Britain, Tate Liverpool, William Shakespeare ( baptised The Globe Theatre was a Theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. Borough Market is a Wholesale and Retail food market in Southwark, South East London, England.

Beyond Waterloo Station, to the south, can be found the rest of the Waterloo area, including the historic market street of Lower Marsh and The Cut, home of The Old Vic. Lower Marsh (formerly known as Lambeth Marsh) is a street that remains on the site of one of the oldest settlements on the South Bank of London, The Old Vic is a Theatre located just south-east of Waterloo Station in London on the corner of The Cut and Waterloo Road.

The South Bank is also regarded by many to be the unofficial home of British street skateboarding. Street skateboarding is the act of riding a Skateboard on paved surface whether that surface is found at a Public school, a Shopping mall, or somewhere The sheltered section beneath the Queen Elizabeth Hall has provided the skateboarding community of Britain and international skaters alike with ideal banks and stairs since the 1970s, and is conveniently located near other skatespots such as The Hayward. The Queen Elizabeth Hall ( QEH) is a Music venue on the South Bank in London, England that hosts daily classical, Jazz This article is about the Decade 1970-1979 For the Year 1970 see 1970. The Hayward is an Art gallery within the Southbank Centre, part of an area of major arts venues on the South Bank of the River Thames More recently, a skateboarding related art company, The Side Effects of Urethane, has provided Southbank Centre with several skatable sculptures in their 'Moving Units' project. Southbank Centre is a complex of artistic venues located in London, UK, on the South Bank of the River Thames between County Hall

In September 2007, a statue of Sir Laurence Olivier as Hamlet was unveiled outside the National Theatre, to mark the great actor's centenary. Laurence Kerr Olivier Baron

See also

• Festival of Britain
• Coin Street Community Builders

External links

• London County Hall Entertainment (Attraction, Bar and Restaurants, Museum, Venue hire, Entertainments)
• Southbank Centre (Arts and entertainment complex)
• South Bank Employers' Group (Business-led regeneration agency)
• Southbanklondon.com (Attractions, shopping and visitor information)
• Explore-London.com (Photographs)
• London Eye website (Visitor information)
• London SE1 Community Website (Local news and information)
• Coin Street Community Builders (Regeneration group)