RICH INDIGO BLUE and red glazed tiles, bush-hammered
concrete and satin brass are the dominant colours and
materials employed for the new cafe/bar and interval bar
at the Queen Elizabeth Hall’s refurbished foyer.
Archer Humphryes Architects, which was appointed by
competitive interview for the interior project, has created
an understated, elegant and welcoming space. The
architect has enhanced and blended the building’s history
with new contemporary elements that complement the
original in an exciting and bold way.
‘Although the [1967] brutalist building is not listed,
the design was developed by means of historical
research, which referenced its location and vocabulary,’
says Laura Ferrer, project architect at Archer
Humphryes. ‘The design had to meet a complex brief
defined by the client, with the uses ranging from
gatherings of hundreds of people for ceremonies, the brief
but intensive service required for interval and pre-concert
drinks, and the wide variety of events hosted within the
Southbank’s programme.’
Prior to the restoration, the space had previously been
used as a lounge area. As inspiration for its concept Archer
Humphryes explored popular British art movements of the
late 1960s and 1970s together with late expressions of post-060 FOCUS
Queen
Elizabeth
Hall cafe/
bar and
interval bar,
Southbank
Centre,
London
Archer
Humphryes
Architects