About the design concept

Where the obelisk at St Georges Circus marks the entrance to London, the BFI IMAX on Waterloo Circus will claim its significance as the identifiable entrance to the Cultural Quarter of the South Bank for local residents, tourists and commuters. With the recent advancements in 4d technology, the BFI IMAX has finally come of age. We have carved, remodelled and overclad the existing building with a dynamic digital screen which reflects both its dynamic future and the richness of its connection to the BFI and the culture of film.  

By instinct people choose to walk on the ground.  The IMAX is given a new street level entrance and visible connections are carved through the site to give presence and identity to each of the buildings addressing Waterloo Circus. Existing streetscapes have been decluttered, with new crossings and a unified surface creating unhindered safe access to all transport modes and destinations from the river to the Old Vic Theatre.

The ground is gracefully unfolded around the BFI IMAX to create a seamless new connection to its lower entrance and onwards to engage King’s College London, the proposed Doon Street development and the South Bank. This new route replaces the existing labyrinth of subterranean routes with a continuous line of cultural and commercial activity from The Cut, through Waterloo Circus to the Thames at National Theatre Square, bringing together new and existing life.

Read Press Release


View the shortlisted
designs here »

 

 

 

DSDHA - Winning Design

Deborah Saunt, co-founder of DSDHA comments:
“We recognise Waterloo as one of the most important public spaces in the country, serving the busiest station in the UK with over 300,000 commuters each day, as well as being the gateway to London’s South Bank and home to thousands of local residents.

For us, this is a unique opportunity. Waterloo is a meeting place for people, journeys and identities. We hope to create seamless connections at ground level to allow dignified access for everyone to all local spaces - from The Cut to the South Bank, King’s College London to Lower Marsh, Coin Street to Waterloo Station. The labyrinth of underpasses will be a thing of the past and the IMAX will finally be able to takes its place as a landmark at the heart of the area.

This will be an incredibly important project to DSDHA, and we look forward to collaborating with stakeholders and the local community to realise our vision for this area and to consolidate the importance of Waterloo to central London, the outer boroughs and beyond.”