South Bank - Definition and Overview

The National Theatre is one of the collection of arts buildings that make up the South Bank Centre

The Brutalism style of the National Theatre has always been an obstacle, preventing the general public from embracing the building.

The British Airways London Eye on the South Bank

(This article is about the area of London called "South Bank". For the similarly named area of Brisbane, please see South Bank Parklands, Brisbane)

The South Bank is the area in London on the southern bank of the River Thames near Waterloo station that houses a number of important cultural buildings/institutions. It was the site of the 1951 Festival of Britain, for which the Royal Festival Hall (RFH) - and its neighbour the smaller Queen Elizabeth Hall (QEH) - was built.

Since then, the Hayward Gallery was opened in 1968, and the National Theatre in 1976. Nearby is the National Film Theatre (NFT). Adjacent to the NT is the London Weekend Television (LWT) building where the long-running television Arts programme The South Bank Show is produced.

To the west of the RFH, beyond the railway viaduct leading up to Hungerford Bridge, is a public open space, Jubilee Gardens, separating it from nearby County Hall. By County Hall is the large observation wheel built to celebrate the 2000 Millennium, the London Eye.

Further to the east is the Tate Modern art gallery. Past that on Bankside is the reproduction of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.