Covers Come Off Pounds 111m Festival Hall Renovation

THE results of the Pounds 111 million refurbishment of the Royal Festival Hall will be unveiled today.

The Grade I listed building, which opened in 1951 as part of the Festival of Britain, has been restored in accordance with the modernist ideals that governed its construction.

Today’s unveiling

conducted by Clive Hollick, chairman of the Southbank Centre, and Michael Lynch, its chief executive starts the countdown to the official opening.

The public will be welcomed on Friday 8 June for a weekend of events prior to the grand opening concert on Monday 11 June.

The work included stripping out offices that had cluttered areas intended as foyers, giving the revamped building 35 per cent more public space. Nearly every surface of the2,788-seat auditorium has been restored and reinstated to improve acoustics and the seats have gained three inches of legroom.

Mr Lynch said today that when he took over the Southbank team five years ago he made restoring the Festival Hall

“the jewel of our estate”

his priority: “We were determined to realise a dream of 20 years to revive this site.” Mayor Ken Livingstone said it had been one of the most exciting projects in recent years: “We now have a concert hall fitting for London as a leading world city and I wish the Royal Festival Hall the very best for its next 50 years.

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ROWAN MOORE: Pages 40-41

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