London’s Southbank Centre has finally been granted Grade II listed status following decades of campaigning to safeguard the iconic 1960s Brutalist landmark.
The decision brings to a close a 35-year battle to secure the future of the arts and cultural complex located in the heart of the city.
The Twentieth Century Society (C20) and Historic England had recommended listing the Southbank Centre at least six times since 1991.
But each bid was previously turned down by successive culture secretaries, making this one of the longest-running heritage disputes in Britain.
The new listing marks a decisive shift, and a major victory for campaigners, who have long argued for the building’s architectural and cultural importance.
“The battle has been won and Brutalism has finally come of age. This is a victory over those who derided so called ‘concrete monstrosities’ and shows a mature recognition of a style where Britain led the way,” Catherine Croft, director of C20 said, reacting to the news.
“We’re absolutely thrilled that this internationally recognised concrete-masterpiece of post-war architecture has finally been accepted as part of our national heritage, some 35 years after the Twentieth Century Society first campaigned for the Southbank Centre to be protected.”
The listing covers the entire Southbank estate, including the Hayward Gallery, Purcell Room, Queen Elizabeth Hall and the skatepark undercroft, along with the terraces, walkways and staircases that bind the complex together.
The Hayward Gallery, Purcell Room and Queen Elizabeth Hall were designed by the Architects’ Department of the London County Council and opened by HM the Queen in 1967 as part of Britain’s post-war cultural renewal.
Their bold Brutalist design was a deliberate contrast to the smooth, Scandinavian-influenced Royal Festival Hall next door, and proved controversial from the outset.
In October 1967, Daily Mail readers voted the complex “Britain’s ugliest building”.
By the early 1990s, concerns were growing about the long-term protection of post-war architecture.
From 1991 onwards, the Twentieth Century Society (C20) began formally campaigning for the Southbank Centre to be listed, arguing that its architectural and historic significance was already clear.
Throughout the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s, repeated calls for listing were made, but each was overruled by successive culture secretaries.
Campaigners claimed the resistance reflected political hostility to Brutalism, rather than any failure to meet heritage criteria.
Explaining its reasons for refusal in 2018, the DCMS said: “The building’s architecture is not unique or groundbreaking and is poorly resolved in terms of its relationship to the site, its coherence, and its accessibility in comparison to the Royal Festival Hall and the National Theatre.”
Now, the Southbank Centre has been granted listed status by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport.
Ms Croft added: “The lack of listing had become a complete anomaly; it is admired as one of the best Brutalist buildings in the world, so this decision is obviously very well deserved and long overdue.
“The arts complex is a highly sophisticated, sculptural masterpiece, with enormous richness of form and detail inside and out. The experience it gives concert goers and gallery visitors is unlike any other venue in the country, its virtuoso spaces still unrivaled.
“Credit must go to the Heritage Minister, Baroness Twycross, who has done the right thing, where her predecessors over the past few decades have failed to act, and to Historic England who along with the Twentieth Century Society, have consistently made the case for its place on the national register.”
Now, the Southbank Centre joins the Royal Festival Hall (Grade I listed in 1988), as well as the Royal National Theatre, Waterloo Bridge and the IBM Building.
A spokesperson from the Southbank Centre said, “The Grade II listing recognises the architectural and civic importance of the Queen Elizabeth Hall and Hayward Gallery.
“The listing underlines the need for Government investment in our buildings - all of which they own.
“Alongside the Grade I listed Royal Festival Hall, the Southbank Centre has asked the Government for £30 million to support improvements to our infrastructure in our 75th anniversary.
“We look forward to working with the Government to ensure these buildings are able to thrive long into the future.”
