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The Royal Festival Hall hosts classical orchestral concerts as well as jazz,
rock and world music. The building is sound-proofed from noise from the nearby
railway by cavity walls several feet thick. |
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The only remaining building from the Festival of Britain in 1951, the Festival
Hall is Grade I listed. |
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The Festival Hall's light appearance (1) comes from the use of Derbyshire
limestone; the green of the roof (2) from weathered copper. Designed by a young
team of architects working at London County Council, their objective was to
build a modernist concert hall that was welcoming and accessible to everyone,
and to get away from the 19th-century European classicism normally used for
public buildings. | |
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The canopies and stairs (3) are a recent addition that now connect the Festival
Hall entrance with the lower-level riverside walk. |
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Carpets in the Skylon restaurant (4) are among the interior features that have
been kept in the original style. |
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The auditorium has 'assisted resonance' - an electronic enhancement said to
improve the sound quality. |
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The Royal Festival Hall website can
be seen
here. | |
