Original name
Southbank Centre, Queen Elizabeth Hall & Purcell Room
Original use
Culture/leisure/tourism/concert hall
Current use
Culture/leisure/tourism/concert hall
Architects
Hubert Bennett with Jack Whittle, F.G West and Geoffrey Horsefall
Engineers
Ove Arup
Others
Higgs and Hill (builders)
Concrete by reinforcement
Concrete is a relatively brittle material that is strong in compression but less so in tension.
To increase its overall strength, steel rods, wires, mesh or cables may be embedded in concrete before it sets. This reinforcement, often known as rebar, resists tensile forces. By forming a strong bond, the two materials are able to resist a variety of applied forces, effectively acting as a single structural element .
Construction method
In this case, the concrete can be made by mixing the components directly on site, or it may be transported from a production plant in concrete-mixer trucks.
This method has the disadvantage of leaving the concrete exposed to the elements while it is setting. Whereas, with other methods, the environmental conditions can be controlled during setting, providing greater control over the outcome, with cast-in-place concrete a series of tests and protocols are necessary to verify its final strength.
Architectural concrete
- textured walls
- wooden formwork finish
- stamped concrete
- exposed aggregate concrete, colored concrete, etc.
Structural types
Trussed beams are the cheapest solution for the execution of large spans, in other words, when there are large distances between vertical supports. In reality, this type of beam is a kind of lattice, made up of a series of shorter braces (posts and struts).
Trussed beams are usually made of steel or wood, since some of the elements of the structure will be subject to compression and others to traction. As such, it is unusual for structures of this type to be built only with concrete. Using a combination of concrete for compression and steel to absorb traction results in better structural performance.
This element is characteristic of many industrial buildings from 1900 to 1950 in which large, flared support structures extend into disc-like capitals.
State of Conservation
Description
The Southbank Centre, located along the banks of the Thames, combines the predominant styles of English post-war architecture from the 1950s to the 1970s in a single complex. The program consists of auditoriums, theatres, art galleries, archives, libraries and entertainment venues. The vast majority of buildings are characterised by the use of exposed concrete, and they provide one of the best examples of Brutalist architecture in Britain.
A common feature of the entire Southbank complex is the buildings’ integration with public space: promenades, terraces, bridges and urban walking paths are interspersed with the different elements of the program. To generate unity for the complex, some especially expressive concrete elements, such as the exterior staircases that connect the different urban levels, are painted in bright colours.
The Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Purcell Room share space in a building that dates from 1967. The names refer to the two auditoriums inside: one for symphonic music and the other, more intimate, for chamber music. In 2018, the building reopened its doors after years of intense renovations to modernise the facilities and improve its environmental performance.
The building’s exterior is noteworthy for the combination of cast-in-situ concrete, with a pronounced texture, and washed prefabricated concrete panels with visible aggregates. Concrete is also present in the interior, especially in the foyer, where it is the dominant material in the characteristic columns with octagonal capitals and the triangular skylights with wooden diffusers.
United Kingdom
Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd, Lambeth
Greater London SE1 8XX City of London