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_F6888 (Collage 91793)
Date
Collection
London Metropolitan Archives: LCC Photograph Library
Description
Festival of Britain construction site in York Road, Waterloo, by Waterloo Road, showing the construction of the perimeter wall of the Festival site. To the left is the rear aspect of numbers 6-16 York Road. In the background is the railway viaduct carrying trains from Waterloo East (formerly Waterloo Junction Station) across Hungerford Bridge to Charing Cross. This site now forms the Waterloo roundabout which encloses 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, by Waterloo Road, showing the construction of the perimeter wall of the Festival site. To the left is the rear aspect of numbers 6-16 York Road. In the background is the railway viaduct carrying trains from Waterloo East (formerly Waterloo Junction Station) across Hungerford Bridge to Charing Cross. This site now forms the Waterloo roundabout which encloses 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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