Two important historic buildings have had their listings upgraded and seven others have been ‘relisted’ to mark their connection with the Festival of Britain, which celebrates its 70th anniversary this summer.
image: Aerial view of the Royal Festival Hall and surrounding buildings during the Festival of Britain © Historic England Aerofilms Collection EAW035704
…the country was in desperate need of a moral and economic boost…
… post-war cultural moment provided a ‘tonic for the nation’…
Historic England writes:
Christ Church in Coventry and Calvary Charismatic Baptist Church in Tower Hamlets have been upgraded from Grade II to Grade II* by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on the advice of Historic England.
Other sites, including London’s Royal Festival Hall and Barbara Hepworth’s famous Contrapuntal Forms sculpture, now in Harlow, Essex, have had their list entries updated to officially recognise their connections with the Festival.
The Festival of Britain, which ran from May to September 1951, was a national exhibition and fair promoting British design, science, technology, architecture, industry, and the arts.
Still struggling from the devastation caused by World War II, the country was in desperate need of a moral and economic boost. The Festival’s fun, colourful exploration of British ingenuity and creativity was an inspirational and optimistic look towards the brave new world of the future and helped foster a national sense of recovery.
The Festival’s centrepiece was held on London’s South Bank, with events also taking place in Poplar, Battersea, South Kensington and Glasgow.
From Cardiff to York, celebrations happened at over 2000 locations across the country. Iconic highlights from the Festival included the Dome of Discovery – which housed displays focusing on Britain’s pre-eminence in exploration, scientific discovery, weather forecasting, biological research, astronomy and outer space – the futuristic sculpture Skylon, and the Royal Festival Hall, which is still popular today.
The Festival’s legacy is the continuing success of the South Bank as a centre of culture and the arts, as well as its enduring contribution to modernism in architecture and design that can be seen across the country.
“The Festival of Britain was the first time most Britons experienced a whole townscape of modern buildings, whether on the South Bank, at the Battersea Pleasure Gardens or at Lansbury – the first bit of London’s East End to be rebuilt after the war. The attention to detail in the architecture, planning and landscape was exceptional. The Festival was the last great national event before the advent of mass television, so people had to go and see it for themselves, and it is still fondly remembered.”
“The Festival of Britain was such an important event in our national calendar, welcoming over 8 million people to London during the summer of 1951. It raised the spirits of the British people following the austerity of World War II and show-cased Britain’s innovation to the rest of the world. The Festival had a major influence on design and architecture and its legacy can still be seen today in our buildings and public artworks. We are delighted to be able to celebrate the Festival as it reaches its 70th anniversary and we hope that people will continue to appreciate its legacy for years to come.”
“The Royal Festival Hall is a living monument to Southbank Centre’s Festival of Britain heritage. The post-war cultural moment provided a ‘tonic for the nation’ for millions of people who attended events at the main Festival site on London’s South Bank, and the events held across the UK. Our Archive preserves thousands of stories from people who have connected with our buildings and artistic programme over the past 70 years and our unique architecture continues to inspire a spirit of creativity, innovation and hope for the future.”
