About The Project

We were one of eight practices shortlisted for the Southbank Centre design competition and interview. The competition was for the revitalisation of the Festival Wing of the Southbank Centre; the Hayward Gallery, the Queen Elizabeth Hall (QEH) and Purcell Room. Our proposals focus on making a series of diverse, non-traditional venues for a varied arts programme and suggesting a new rehearsal space which was not fully defined at the time. In addition we embedded the project within the Southbank complex and adjoining areas; extending existing routes through the foyers, creating new routes around and over the buildings. We drew on our experience in performance spaces and foyers, as well as retail, which formed a significant proportion of the brief, and our experience of live sites and phasing to mitigate disruption to the life of the Sotuthbank.