Festival of Britain construction site on South Bank
More information
Title
Festival of Britain construction site on South Bank
Festival of Britain construction site on South Bank
Reference
SC_PHL_01_260_F6714 (Collage 91766)
Date
Collection
London Metropolitan Archives: LCC Photograph Library
Description
Festival of Britain construction site in York Road, Waterloo, looking south. There are piles of bricks and buildings, with "Cubitt" written on a large sign. The main contractor for the Festival of Britain site was Holland, Hannen and Cubitts. This site is now occupied by The Whitehouse Apartments, formerly part of the Shell Centre. The railway viaduct has the sign advertising "Illustrated, World News in Pictures Every Wednesday Threepence". Behind is the main entrance to Waterloo Station known as the Victory Arch, which was designed by James Robb Scott and opened in 1922; it is a memorial to the 585 London and South Western Railway staff who were killed during the World War I. The rear of the tree-storey buildings are 6-18 York Road. These were demolished in the 1960s and replaced with the Bullring roundabout which now houses the IMAX Cinema. The Festival of Britain was a nationwide event that took place in the summer of 1951. Originally intended to mark the centenary of the Great Exhibition of 1851, it became a way to celebrate Britain and its achievements rather than including international themes. The construction of the Festival on its flagship South Bank site required the demolition of the industrial and residential buildings between Waterloo Bridge and County Hall. After the Festival, the South Bank site was cleared of all festival infrastructure except the Royal Festival Hall on the orders of Winston Churchill, who saw the Festival as a beacon for socialist ideas.
Festival of Britain construction site in York Road, Waterloo, looking south. There are piles of bricks and buildings, with "Cubitt" written on a large sign. The main contractor for the Festival of Britain site was Holland, Hannen and Cubitts. This site is now occupied by The Whitehouse Apartments, formerly part of the Shell Centre. The railway viaduct has the sign advertising "Illustrated, World News in Pictures Every Wednesday Threepence". Behind is the main entrance to Waterloo Station known as the Victory Arch, which was designed by James Robb Scott and opened in 1922; it is a memorial to the 585 London and South Western Railway staff who were killed during the World War I. The rear of the tree-storey buildings are 6-18 York Road. These were demolished in the 1960s and replaced with the Bullring roundabout which now houses the IMAX Cinema. The Festival of Britain was a nationwide event that took place in the summer of 1951. Originally intended to mark the centenary of the Great Exhibition of 1851, it became a way to celebrate Britain and its achievements rather than including international themes. The construction of the Festival on its flagship South Bank site required the demolition of the industrial and residential buildings between Waterloo Bridge and County Hall. After the Festival, the South Bank site was cleared of all festival infrastructure except the Royal Festival Hall on the orders of Winston Churchill, who saw the Festival as a beacon for socialist ideas.
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