Talk:The Hayward

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The Hayward is a very much a 1960s concrete mega-structure designed as an art work in its own right. Its form and internal divisions of space are almost impossible to alter on an economic basis without significant demolition. Consequently, change that preserves the character of the building needs to come from sensitive additions and incremental modifications.

The building suffers from an accumulation of dirt from pollution on the panels of Cornish granite aggregate and, in places, water staining. The original design relied on a subtle contrast in colour between the granite aggregate panels and exposed concrete forms, together with the powerful massing of the structure.

Adapting the Hayward for the future poses a number challenges, in the light of the published objectives of various public sector bodies involved. The Arts Council of England wishes to see two 1,100 seat auditoriums on the site of the Queen Elizabeth Hall and Purcell Room (see submissions in 2005 to London Borough of Lambeth's Unitary Development Plan). As of 2006, there is no indication of funding being available to realise this objective.

Below are three possible options for the Hayward building's development.

A more rational access arrangement from Festival Square is a priority. The small concrete spiral staircase, forming the most direct access, is hidden away beyond the car park entrance, underneath the elevated walkway.

A simple solution would be to add an open staircase, in concrete, to the truncated end of the elavated walkway (where the link running in front of the Royal Festival Hall was removed in the early 1990s.

A lift would also need to be added to provide proper disabled access from Festival Square.

The little-used walkway above Belvedere Road is probably best closed, and disconnected from Waterloo Bridge, as it offers little attaction for pedestrians.

This option would involve providing a new gallery space between the existing Hayward east upper gallery and the rear of the Purcell Room auditorium. The new gallery would be on the same level as the upper galleries of the existing Hayward.

Potentially the unused open concrete trays at the upper level, intended as outdoor sculpture trays, could be adapted to form enclosed galleries and so expand the flexibility and size of the gallery space.

This option would involve providing three significant new gallery spaces: two between the existing Hayward and Queens Walk and one on the roof of the Queen Elizabeth Hall foyer building. These would be linked by a new link across the riverside frontage of the Queen Elizabeth Hall auditorium, and by reopening (and covering) the open concrete bridge between the roof of the Queen Elizabeth Hall foyer building and the Hayward. The closed west terrace of the Hayward would be covered with glass roof to provide a space to connect back to the existing Hayward for visitors having been through the new galleries.

The new galleries would be on the same level as the upper galleries of the existing Hayward.

Much of the lower ground level of the Hayward is taken up by a car park, which is arguably a poor use of the space. Potentially alternative disabled parking could be provided at street level along Belvedere Road, together with better lift acees between different levels in the South Bank Centre complex.

An exciting new entrance could be created using the car park space below the elevated walkway, between the Hayward and the Queen Elizabeth Hall foyer building. This is a generous double height space, which could be glazed at the edge of the walkway by Festival Square, and shows the massive octagonal concrete columns that are a key feature of the Waterloo site buildings to excellent effect.

Visitors would ascend on a large concrete spiral to the existing entrance level using the space near the National Film Theatre. The Hayward entrance level here would be kept predominantly glazed to allow light through to the renovated former Museum of the Moving Image building.

Is there a special reason why "The" is included at the start of the article name? My reading of Wikipedia:Naming conventions (definite and indefinite articles at beginning of name) is that this should be avoided where possible.— Rod ^talk 19:27, 6 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]