Opening

• Festival Hall was officially opened on May 3, 1951, by King George VI. It was built as part of the Festival of Britain. The aim of the Festival was leave behind the war years by raising the nation's spirits. It would also showcase the best of British art, design and industry.
  
  

Design

• The hall was commissioned by London County Council (LCC) and built by Holland, Hanes & Cubitts. The first stone was laid by the Prime Minister Clement Attlee in 1949. It was designed in the Modernist style by architects Leslie Martin, Peter Moro and Robert Matthew from the Architects' Department of LCC. In 1964, foyers and terraces were added to the river side of the building. This replaced the Modernist feel with a plainer, hard-edged feel.
  
  

Listed Status

• The Royal Festival Hall is the only building from the 1951 Festival of Britain still standing. It is a Grade I listed building and was the first postwar building to be listed, in April 1988.
  
  

Refurbishment

• The building was refurbished from 2005 to 2007. Architectural practice Allies and Morrison were contracted to improve the acoustics and enhance the interior and exterior. It was reopened in June 2007 with an engagement by heavy metal rockers Motorhead as part of the Meltdown festival.
  
  

Visiting

• Entry to the foyer spaces of the Royal Festival Hall in the Southbank Centre is free. For performances, you will need to have a ticket. The Centre is open every day from 10am to 11pm. The closest Tube stations are Waterloo and Embankment. The closest bus stops are on Waterloo Bridge, in York Road, in Belvedere Road and in Stamford Street. You can also travel there by car or train, and there are facilities to park cars and bikes.
  
  Southbank Centre Royal Festival Hall
  Belvedere Road
  London, SE1 8XX
  0844 875 0073
  southbankcentre.co.uk