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The renaissance of London's South Bank started with the Festival of Britain after the war, part of Abercrombie's Plan to create a riverside walkway and a new cultural centre in what had been an area of industry and riverside commerce. Gradually extended, with the National Theatre and new offices for IBM, it became the site of a classic conflict between those who wanted to develop the area for offices and the community who fought to provide housing for local people.
The demise of the Greater London Council led to the formation of Coin Street Community Builders, whose initial attempts did not win architectural praise. However, having created a new park and lively craft market out of temporary buildings, the development trust went on to develop the award winning conversion of the Oxo Tower, and the adjacent flats. The impact has been much greater as a result of improvements to the public realm along the South Bank, thanks to a successful SRB bid put together with the South Bank Employers Group. This would not have happened without the efforts of the trust, as the local authority had other priorities at the time.
The completion of a series of new cultural attractions, from the London Eye to the new Tate
Gallery of Modern Art in the old Bankside Power Station, the Globe Theatre reconstruction, and the refurbishment of Borough Market, with its popular organic food market and Fish Restaurant, is transforming the image of the South Bank. Developers now compete to build high density housing, a notable landmark being the Manhattan Loft Corporation's scheme overlooking Blackfriars Bridge.
But what is really changing the area fundamentally is a whole series of public transport improvements. The start was the building of the Thames Link, enabling trains to pass through the centre of London. The Jubilee Line, with its handsome new stations, has tied the South Bank into central London. The process is being completed by two new footbridges over the river, as well as the extension of the riverside walkway, which now provides a visual experience that compares favourably with other World Cities. |
