The South Bank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in London is near to completing the first phase of its £91m investment programme – the redevelopment of the ground floor on the riverfront – and is now closed to the public to allow major refurbishments to the hall’s foyers and auditorium to be carried out.
Six new retail and food outlets – including noodle bar Wagamama and pizzeria Strada – will open by the riverside later this month.
Work will then begin to improve audience comfort, acoustics and technical requirements in the auditorium and to enhance access and amenities in the Royal Festival Hall foyers, which cater for around three million users a year.
Funding for the project, which is led by architects Allies and Morrison alongside acousticians Kirkegaard Associates, has come from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Arts Council England and sponsors through a fundraising campaign.
The Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room and Hayward Gallery will remain open for a full artistic programme during the renovations. The hall is due to reopen in spring 2007. Details: www.rfh.org.uk
