A walking tour exploring how movement of people – both daily and generational – has shaped the built environment of the South Bank. From the arrival of the railways to the housing activism of the 1970s and 80s, the tour will look at how the development of new communities has been instrumental in the creation of London’s most vibrant cultural hub

Housed in the Old Vic Theatre’s grade II former annex (built 1958) in the Brutalist style, the Studio exists to develop new work for the National Theatre. The Studio is also home to the National Theatre Archive. Tours will include the rehearsal spaces, writers’ rooms and script library alongside the Archive strongroom where the National Theatre’s collections are housed.

Lyons Israel Ellis Partnership, 1958

Bankside was once a secluded powerhouse of Victorian London, a place that kept industry in and casual visitors out. Today, it boasts a network of arches and alleyways repurposed for public use. Led by a Bankside insider, this tour explores the history and reclamation of the arch as a usable space through an emerging urban trail – including the brand-new America Street redevelopment.

Let’s find out about the Irish who lived just south of the river Thames. Their story and achievements, covering the last few centuries to recent times, incorporating local London history whilst strolling through beautiful historic parks and Georgian squares. Starts at St George's Catholic Cathedral (Catholic), finishing at Kennington Park.

Augustus Welby Pugin , 1848

After decades of architecture contributing to environmental damage, a rigorous reset is needed. Feilden Fowles do this through a model that they have developed that is ‘low tech’ in approach. Drop by to meet the team, learn more about their projects and low tech ethos, and to experience their demountable timber studio and their new retrofitted event space, set within a walled garden in Waterloo.

Feilden Fowles, 2016

Resonance FM is a pioneering, non-profit community radio station, with a studio at 7 Risborough Street, Southwark, London. Broadcasting 24/7 on 104.4 FM, DAB, and online, it offers over 100 weekly shows created by volunteer engineers and programme-makers. The station champions free expression and artistic diversity, providing a platform for local and international voices across arts & culture.

James Pooley Architecture, 2025

An architectural talk exploring the story of the historic Bankside Yards railway arches and their transformation into a new cultural destination on London’s Bankside. Now reopening after 150 years hidden from the public, the talk will offer an opportunity to discover how historic infrastructure can be reimagined to create vibrant new spaces while preserving the character and stories of the past.

PLP Architecture, 1864

Step inside the Print Building at Timber Square, a former 1950s printworks reimagined as a modern, low-carbon workplace. Discover how industrial heritage, innovative timber construction and sustainable design have come together to create one of Bankside's most distinctive new workplace destinations.

Bennetts Associates, 2026

Proudly carved over the door are the words ‘Facts not Opinions’. Inside, the authentic sight - and smell - of Kirkaldy’s Testing and Experimenting Works is a unique and direct link with an ingenious age of engineering.

Thomas Roger Smith, 1873

Join award-winning guide Katie Wignall on a riverside walk along the route of Illuminated River, the world's longest public art commission illuminating 9 bridges of the Thames. Journey rom Westminster to Bankside in search of the hidden details and surprising stories along the Thames, and learn about how the bridges shaped this area through time and how they continue to influence London today.

Unit 1.20 is one of 25 workshop and retail units in Oxo Tower Wharf and overlooks the courtyard towards the Bargehouse building from the first floor walkway. It is a multi-purpose space used as a workshop, showroom and teaching space.

Albert W Moore, 1930