London's Royal Festival Hall, one of the city's major concert hall venues, is due to re-open in June 2007, as part of a major redevelopment of the South Bank Centre
The Royal Festival Hall – London’s concert hall built for the 1951 Festival of Britain -- is set to re-open in June 2007 as part of a major redevelopment of The South Bank Centre beside the River Thames. The opening concert is expected to feature four orchestras and 250 musicians in a unique event. A new extension building alongside Hungerford rail bridge has already opened, with retail and food outlets including Foyles and Wagamama.
The improvements to the Royal Festival Hall will include better acoustics, seats with increased leg room and more cushioning. It also features a new Education Centre with studio and performance spaces, and improved access, including a glass lift to all levels.
Major features of the redevelopment are the foyers with many aspects of the original 1951 design reinstated, including roof terraces, enlarged entrances and a new Riverside Café in its original location. The opening season will also include a ballet gala and a museum show by sculptor Antony Gormley. The opening concert will feature all four resident orchestras: the London Philharmonic, the London Sinfonietta, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and the Philharmonia Orchestra.
Website: www.southbankcentre.org.uk
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