Festival of Britain construction site on South Bank
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Title
Festival of Britain construction site on South Bank
Festival of Britain construction site on South Bank
Reference
SC_PHL_01_260_F6846 (Collage 91789)
Date
Collection
London Metropolitan Archives: LCC Photograph Library
Description
Festival of Britain construction site in Waterloo Road, Waterloo, by Tenison Way. The site has a bulldozer, a steam crane and a lorry delivering bags of Snoweem cement. In the foreground a man in a flat cap and overalls looks at the camera. The rear elevations of the remaining buildings belong to numbers 2-14 York Road. On the right, buildings are being constructed for the Festival of Britain. 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 opened in 1848 but was rebuilt and officially re-opened in 1922. 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. This site was cleared and a block of the Shell Centre, now known as The Whitehouse Apartments, was built here.
Festival of Britain construction site in Waterloo Road, Waterloo, by Tenison Way. The site has a bulldozer, a steam crane and a lorry delivering bags of Snoweem cement. In the foreground a man in a flat cap and overalls looks at the camera. The rear elevations of the remaining buildings belong to numbers 2-14 York Road. On the right, buildings are being constructed for the Festival of Britain. 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 opened in 1848 but was rebuilt and officially re-opened in 1922. 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. This site was cleared and a block of the Shell Centre, now known as The Whitehouse Apartments, was built here.
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