The Stage

RFH redevelopment launched

Published Tuesday 20 April 2004 at 14:20

Work on a £71 million redevelopment of the Royal Festival Hall has begun, following a £5 million donation from charitable organisation the Clore Duffield Foundation.

South Bank board chairman Lord Hollick launched the building project by removing the first piece of the 53-year-old RFH boilers during a special ceremony at the venue.

Renovations on the riverfront hall will begin in May, with building work on a new glass-fronted extension alongside Hungerford Bridge commencing later this summer. Both will be completed before a major refurbishment of the foyers and auditorium starts in July 2005.

Lord Hollick said: “I am delighted to announce this generous gift from Dame Vivien Duffield and the Clore Duffield Foundation. This is a major boost to our fundraising campaign for the Royal Festival Hall, the jewel in the crown of the South Bank Centre. We will create a world class venue for London, for our artists and audiences.”

He added that the project was intended to re-establish the hall as one of the world’s best concert venues by enhancing its acoustics to meet classical music requirements and upgrading both audience comfort and stage and technical facilities. A new education centre for schools and community groups is also planned, as well as improvements to access and public facilities in the foyers.

The project, which is part of a £91 million initiative to improve the area surrounding the South Bank Centre, has received £25 million from Arts Council England and £20 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund, with an application for a further £5 million under consideration. So far £4 million has been raised through trusts, private donors and audience contributions and, with the donation from the Clore Duffield Foundation, 82% of the money required has now been secured.

During the closure of RFH, the South Bank Centre will continue to present a full programme in the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room and Hayward Gallery. The Festival Hall will reopen to the public in late 2006 with the official opening of the auditorium in January 2007.