Festival of Britain construction site on South Bank
Festival of Britain construction site on South Bank
festival of britain
Record No
91745
Title
Festival of Britain construction site on South Bank
Description
Festival of Britain construction site in Tenison Way, Waterloo, by York Road. A steam roller, many cranes, construction machinery and a lorry with a "Fitzpatrick and Son" logo are on the site. The tall structure surrounded by scaffolding is the Shot Tower built for Lambeth Lead Works in 1826. It was the only existing structure on the site to be retained for the Festival of Britain. The architect of the Festival Sir Hugh Casson described it as 'an extraordinary device'. The gallery at the top was removed and replaced with a steel superstructure which was used during the Festival as a radio beacon. After the Festival it was demolished and the Shell Centre was built on its site. 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.
Date of execution
1951
Section
London Metropolitan Archives
Collection
LCC Photograph Library
Medium
photograph
Catalogue No
SC_PHL_01_260_85_2252
London picture map location
Exact
Subjects
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