South Bank seeks designers

Designers and architects are to be sought next year for the third attempt to redevelop London’s South Bank Centre.

An ambitious 170m scheme by Richard Rogers Partnership was ditched earlier this year after failing to win Lottery funding, paving the way for the latest plans announced last week by SBC chairman Elliott Bernerd.

A masterplanner is expected to be appointed in the New Year for the latest scheme which includes demolishing the Hayward Gallery, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room and concrete walkways. The Royal Festival Hall is to be restored and a new film centre incorporating the National Film Theatre and Museum of Moving Image will be added along with headquarters for the British Film Institute.

Once a masterplanner is in place, architectural competitions are due to be staged for different elements of the proposals. However, the cost of the entire redevelopment and exact timetable are still unknown. Funding has so far been pledged by both the Arts Council and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The latest proposals are the third attempt to overhaul the arts complex after the Rogers scheme and an earlier one by Terry Farrell in the late 1980s both failed to get off the ground.