Picture caption: The Grade II listed National Theatre will be dwarfed by “The Slab”
Picture credit: Simone Hutsch on Unsplash
Work has begun to demolish the former ITV building and replace it with an office block four times the size of the National Theatre. The scheme has been a battleground since Lambeth Council initially approved it. In the latest attempts to stop the project from going ahead, the campaign group Save Our Southbank (SOS) brought a judicial review.
In December, at the High Court, Mr Justice Mould dismissed the legal challenge from SOS, which argued that the development failed to provide housing and could damage nearby buildings including the National Theatre and Somerset House.
This project stands in stark contrast to the soon-to-be-completed TBC.London which I mentioned last time is a redevelopment where those involved have been sensitive to the building’s culturally significant surroundings and its environmental impact.
Unfortunately, the redevelopment of the former London Studios at 72 Upper Ground seems designed to take a fairly innocuous 1970s building and create a monstrosity that will dominate the view along the Thames. And there has been little consideration given to the carbon cost of demolishing and replacing the current structure.
The design for the new building has been described in the press as, “a pile of boxes” with “no attempt at vertical grace”. It’s been given the unflattering nickname, “The Slab”.
This development first received planning approval in March 2022, but it was called in to be reviewed by the government. A public enquiry opened in December 2022, but this failed to stop the development and Michael Gove, the then Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government approved the plans in February 2024.
In a statement made after the public inquiry failed, The Twentieth Century Society declared that this decision, “Gives the go-ahead to a universally derided development, that will cause irreversible damage to the unique setting, heritage and dynamism of London’s South Bank. It will overshadow the most important collection of modernist buildings in the country, and sets a dangerous precedent for overdevelopment in sensitive sites. Once again, the Thames has been sold down the river.”
And who could blame them for this opinion? If you haven’t already, search for an artist’s impression of “The Slab” and see for yourself.
It’s difficult to understand why this development has been allowed to proceed when landmark buildings including the Grade II listed National Theatre, the Grade II* listed IBM Building, the Grade II* listed Waterloo Bridge and the Grade I listed Royal Festival Hall are in such close proximity. Not only that, but the entire development site is within the South Bank Conservation Area.
The new building will dominate this stretch of the Thames, which arguably has little need for another mixed-use development of offices, cafes, restaurants and cultural venues, especially one where the design is so uninspiring.
The tiny silver lining to this huge cloud of a building is that the developers, Mitsubishi Estate, have said that creative organisations will be able to get affordable workspaces for up to 90% off standard rates. Although the building is an eyesore, it would be a good location to work from.
What do you think? Are planning officials making the best bits of London uglier by the year, or is there a need for buildings like this, despite the way they dominate the skyline without adding anything positive aesthetically?
I’m always interested to hear your thoughts. In the meantime, if you need any assistance with the structural elements of an upcoming project, please do get in touch.
