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_F6844 (Collage 91788)
Date
Collection
London Metropolitan Archives: LCC Photograph Library
Description
Festival of Britain construction site in York Road, Waterloo, by Waterloo Road. On the site are lorries, a steam roller and other machinery. A sports car is parked on the far left. The viaduct in the background carries trains from Waterloo East (formerly Waterloo Junction Station) across Hungerford Bridge to Charing Cross. Behind is the main Waterloo railway station, which was opened in 1848 but rebuilt and officially reopened in 1922. As a memorial to the London and South Western Railway staff who died in the World War I, the company commissioned the Victory Arch designed by JR Scott, their chief architect, and made of Portland stone and bronze. It depicts War and Peace, with Britannia holding the torch of liberty above; it forms the main entrance to the station. To the right of the station, the building with arches is the 'People of Britain' pavilion of the Festival of Britain. Between 1953 and 1957 it was used as the BEA Waterloo Air Terminal. 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. The site seen here is now occupied by the Waterloo roundabout and IMAX cinema.
Festival of Britain construction site in York Road, Waterloo, by Waterloo Road. On the site are lorries, a steam roller and other machinery. A sports car is parked on the far left. The viaduct in the background carries trains from Waterloo East (formerly Waterloo Junction Station) across Hungerford Bridge to Charing Cross. Behind is the main Waterloo railway station, which was opened in 1848 but rebuilt and officially reopened in 1922. As a memorial to the London and South Western Railway staff who died in the World War I, the company commissioned the Victory Arch designed by JR Scott, their chief architect, and made of Portland stone and bronze. It depicts War and Peace, with Britannia holding the torch of liberty above; it forms the main entrance to the station. To the right of the station, the building with arches is the 'People of Britain' pavilion of the Festival of Britain. Between 1953 and 1957 it was used as the BEA Waterloo Air Terminal. 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. The site seen here is now occupied by the Waterloo roundabout and IMAX cinema.
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