South Bank is a beautiful riverside stretch in central London brimming with unique, one-of-a-kind venues that will make any event memorable- from meetings and conferences, to gala dinners and weddings.
Boasting iconic landmarks including the London Eye, brutalist architecture and the world-class arts and performance venues that make it the ‘cultural heart of London’, many may feel they already know what the area has to offer, but here are some little-known facts about the unique and eclectic mix of South Bank Venues.
CULTURAL VENUES
South Bank is home to many cultural venues with unique and historic spaces to hire. The Deck, a glass roof-top venue at National Theatre benefits from access to the Theatre’s huge costume and props department, which can be used to add a theatrical twist to any event. Bespoke packages can also be tailored to include performances, backstage tours and theatre workshops for those who want that extra something for their guests.
At Southbank Centre, the iconic Royal Festival Hall was the first post-war building to be Grade I listed; meaning many of the spaces for hire have original 1950s décor still in place! For something extra special, you can hire the recently reopened Hayward Gallery and host an exclusive event within a contemporary art space surrounded by a major London exhibition. For film buffs, BFI IMAX has the largest cinema screen in the UK, perfect for making an impact with presentations or films, or you can hire the stunning BFI Southbank Riverfront Bar and enjoy spectacular views of Waterloo Bridge and the River Thames.
Located off the riverfront, close to Waterloo and Lambeth North tube stations you will find the historic IWM London. This building was formerly the central portion of Bethlem Royal Hospital, or Bedlam, as it was commonly known. Guests are free to explore the Museum during the day and arrangements can be made for private tours of the special exhibitions. For an entirely unique experience, head to Leake Street Arches and lose yourself in Aures, a heady mix of urban graffiti culture with futuristic immersive technology that goes beyond the conventional event space experience using dynamic, immersive technology and programming.
SUSTAINABLE VENUES
South Bank is home to many sustainable venues for the green at heart. 15 Hatfields is well known for its environmental credentials. Owned by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, they serve only British organic milk, have a carpet made of goat hair and have a recycled bottle reception desk! Coin Street Community Builders have a 13-acre site comprising Oxo Tower and Gabriel’s Wharf’s riverfront space and the Coin Street Conference Centre. The Conference Centre has floor to ceiling natural daylight and sustainably designed meetings rooms as well as a roof terrace with beautiful London views. Park Plaza Westminster Bridge and Park Plaza County Hall have both been awarded membership to the prestigious Green Tourism for London. Furthermore, Westminster Bridge features a biomass generator to reduce energy use by 20% and an on-site water bottling plant. Located just a stone’s throw from Blackfriars Bridge, Bankside Hotel is built to be fully sustainable, and is now introducing beehives to their stylish roof top to help sustain the environment.
ICONIC BUILDINGS & ATTRACTIONS
The South Bank is well known for its iconic attractions and buildings. The London Eye is the World’s tallest cantilevered observation wheel, where you can add a little excitement to your event with an experience capsule including champagne, wine, chocolate tasting or beauty treatments.
The best choice for a quintessentially British experience, London Marriott Hotel County Hall is located in London’s famous County Hall building and used to be the headquarters of the historic London City Council and later the Greater London Council. County Hall is also home to SEA LIFE, part of the largest Aquarium organisation in the world and committed to marine life protection. However, what many people don’t know is that outside of opening hours, SEALIFE can be transformed into an incredible events space that will have your guests mesmerised by their surroundings.
One of South Bank’s most recognisable landmarks, OXO Tower Wharf is home to innovative and internationally renowned contemporary designers, restaurants, cafes, bars and exhibition venues like OXO2 and the industrial building Bargehouse.
With a design reminiscent of a 1920s transatlantic cruise liner, award-winning food and drink outlets and an electric energy, Sea Containers London is a remarkable South Bank hotel. It’s a destination where glamour meets brutalism and is the capital at its very best. Also in Sea Containers is Sea Containers Events, over 25,000 square feet of newly designed blank canvas events space that allows you to theme and brand accordingly, with a stunning roof terrace offering views from the OXO Tower to The Shard.
PRIVATE DINING
An increasingly popular foodie destination, South Bank offers a range of restaurants and private dining venues. Located in Royal Festival Hall, Skylon is a name reminiscent of the days of the Festival of Britain and offers a high-end and stylish option for a range of events with spectacular views over South Bank and the riverside. Crowne Plaza Albert Embankment woos its guests with the vibrant, North American inspired menu of POTUS and Mezemiso, the stunning 14th floor Sky Terrace offering stunning Japanese Lebanese fusion cuisine with breath-taking views across the River.
For more information:
Rachel Dingsdale, Head of Marketing
Rachel.dingsdale@southbanklondon.com
Ella Stern, Marketing Officer
Ella.Stern@southbanklondon.com
Venue information and venue contact details available at www.southbanklondon.com/venues
Thanks to South Bank Venues for this piece.
We look forward to seeing what the Summer has to bring!
