Southbank Centre gets long-overdue listed status as 'brutalism comes of age'
A 35-year wait is finally over for one of London's most infamous buildings: the Southbank Centre. After successive governments resisted six separate proposals to list the centre, which was dubbed Britain's ugliest building by engineers in 1967, the government has agreed to give it Grade II status.
The decision marks a major victory for campaigners who have been fighting to protect the brutalist masterpiece from demolition and neglect. The Southbank Centre, designed by the architects department at the former London council council led by Norman Engleback, is now officially recognized as an important part of Britain's architectural heritage.
"It's long overdue," said Catherine Croft, director of the Twentieth Century Society (C20S). "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."
Croft pointed out that the decision ends an anomaly in which the centre was the only unlisted building in the arts complex on the south side of the Thames. The owners of the building had requested to extend an immunity from listing, but the government accepted advice from its heritage body, Historic England.
The Southbank Centre's neighbours are deemed to be of higher architectural value: the modernist Royal Festival Hall is Grade I-listed, while the National Theatre, also brutalist in style, is Grade II*. The centre itself has been praised for its "bold geometric formations clustered to sculptural effect with a correspondingly dramatic silhouette" and its use of exposed concrete.
Croft added that it was "clearly very well-deserved and long overdue". While campaigners have welcomed the decision, they are also urging the government to fund a multimillion-pound refurbishment programme for the buildings. The Southbank Centre has asked for £30m to support improvements to its infrastructure.
The decision comes after successive governments resisted listing proposals in 2018 and 2020, with the Department of Culture Media and Sport justifying their decision as saying the architecture was "not unique or groundbreaking". However, Historic England praised the building's "exemplary technical skill" and its "fine texture and tactility".
The Southbank Centre has now been recognized as a vital part of Britain's cultural landscape. Its brutalist design is still debated by architects and designers today, but it is undeniable that it is an important piece of architectural history.
With its Grade II listing, the Southbank Centre is now protected from demolition or significant alteration. It will be interesting to see how this new status affects plans for its future, including a £70m scheme proposed by Richard Rogers in 2019 to put it under a glass roof and wrap it in a shell designed by Terry Farrell.
A 35-year wait is finally over for one of London's most infamous buildings: the Southbank Centre. After successive governments resisted six separate proposals to list the centre, which was dubbed Britain's ugliest building by engineers in 1967, the government has agreed to give it Grade II status.
The decision marks a major victory for campaigners who have been fighting to protect the brutalist masterpiece from demolition and neglect. The Southbank Centre, designed by the architects department at the former London council council led by Norman Engleback, is now officially recognized as an important part of Britain's architectural heritage.
"It's long overdue," said Catherine Croft, director of the Twentieth Century Society (C20S). "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."
Croft pointed out that the decision ends an anomaly in which the centre was the only unlisted building in the arts complex on the south side of the Thames. The owners of the building had requested to extend an immunity from listing, but the government accepted advice from its heritage body, Historic England.
The Southbank Centre's neighbours are deemed to be of higher architectural value: the modernist Royal Festival Hall is Grade I-listed, while the National Theatre, also brutalist in style, is Grade II*. The centre itself has been praised for its "bold geometric formations clustered to sculptural effect with a correspondingly dramatic silhouette" and its use of exposed concrete.
Croft added that it was "clearly very well-deserved and long overdue". While campaigners have welcomed the decision, they are also urging the government to fund a multimillion-pound refurbishment programme for the buildings. The Southbank Centre has asked for £30m to support improvements to its infrastructure.
The decision comes after successive governments resisted listing proposals in 2018 and 2020, with the Department of Culture Media and Sport justifying their decision as saying the architecture was "not unique or groundbreaking". However, Historic England praised the building's "exemplary technical skill" and its "fine texture and tactility".
The Southbank Centre has now been recognized as a vital part of Britain's cultural landscape. Its brutalist design is still debated by architects and designers today, but it is undeniable that it is an important piece of architectural history.
With its Grade II listing, the Southbank Centre is now protected from demolition or significant alteration. It will be interesting to see how this new status affects plans for its future, including a £70m scheme proposed by Richard Rogers in 2019 to put it under a glass roof and wrap it in a shell designed by Terry Farrell.
but at the same time, i don't know if it's really that big of a deal to be honest... it's just a building, right? 
and i'm not sure about all this fuss over brutalism, some people love it, some people hate it, meh 
. and yeah, it's kinda weird that the royal festival hall gets listed way higher than the centre... like what even is the criteria here? 
the southbank centre finally gets listed as grade ii!! 
i'm beyond happy for all the brutalist fans out there! 
the fact that it took 35 yrs to get recognition is just wow, and i love how croft said "brutalism has finally come of age" 
it's like, the government was trying to hide its beauty for too long! 
now we can see the southbank centre in all its concrete glory 
and it's just a reminder that even the most iconic buildings go through ups and downs, but art & architecture should always be celebrated 
now let's get behind those refurbishment plans and make sure this brutalist beauty stays intact 
the fact that it's only now being recognized as part of our cultural heritage is crazy. and can we talk about how long campaigners had to fight for this? 35 years is like, forever! 
but hey, i'm glad they won because it's definitely an important piece of architectural history... and i'm intrigued by the plans for a glass roof and shell design 
! I mean, it's been 35 years since they resisted listing it, and now that they've finally given it Grade II status, it's about time 
. Brutalist architecture has come a long way since those engineers said it was Britain's ugliest building in 1967... it's actually kinda cool now 
. Now that it's protected, I'm sure we'll see some amazing refurbishments happening in the future 
! Anyway, yay for the Southbank Centre finally getting its due recognition 
!
. It's amazing how some people thought it was ugly back in the day, can you imagine? I mean, I think it's still a work of art in its own way, and now we have official recognition to prove it 
. Now, let's hope the government will follow through on their promise to fund that multimillion-pound refurbishment programme – it would be a dream come true for anyone who loves this building as much as I do 
but seriously, it's great that the campaigners were able to push for this recognition. The centre's got its own unique style going on, all geometric formations and exposed concrete - it's definitely an acquired taste. I can see why some people might find it ugly, but for others, it's just another example of Britain leading the way in brutalist design. Now that it's listed, maybe we'll start to see a new appreciation for this style? 
.
but seriously, this is a major win for architecture fans everywhere. it's crazy to think that for years ppl were saying it was britain's ugliest building lol now we can appreciate its bold geometric formations and dramatic silhouette 
plus, it's awesome that historic england finally recognized its "exemplary technical skill" 
. And what's with the new proposals? A glass roof and Terry Farrell's shell design? It sounds like a total waste of money