GCI PlacesSaved

Performing arts · South Bank

National Theatre

The National Theatre is a theatre building on the South Bank in London, opened in 1976 to designs by Denys Lasdun. It contains three auditoria and is a Grade II* listed building.

Also known as Royal National Theatre.

The layered concrete terraces and fly tower of the National Theatre on London's South Bank
The board-marked concrete terraces of the National Theatre from the riverside. Aurelien Guichard from London, United Kingdom · CC-BY-SA-2.0

Why it matters

Lasdun designed the building as a set of terraces continuing the riverside walk rather than as a facade addressed to it, which is why its public spaces are entered from several levels and not through one front door.

Editorial context written by Global City Intelligence, not a statement from the venue.

Good for

  • After work — Foyers and riverside terraces are open beyond ticket holders, adjoining the Thames walkway.
  • Architecture & design — One of the most complete pieces of British Brutalism, and one that can be walked through at several levels.

These are editorial judgements, not verified facts.

Sources & verification

coordinates.latitude
National Heritage List for England, entry 1272324: Royal National Theatre (Primary) — checked 2026-09-07
Read from an authoritative geospatial publisher; see the coordinate's own status and role.
coordinates.longitude
National Heritage List for England, entry 1272324: Royal National Theatre (Primary) — checked 2026-09-07
officialWebsite
National Theatre - Your Visit (Primary) — checked 2026-09-07
URL retrieved and confirmed to belong to the named operator.
address.formatted
National Theatre - Your Visit (Primary) — checked 2026-09-07
operational.hoursText
National Theatre - published opening information (Primary) — checked 2026-09-07
Quoted from the operator's published opening information on the date read.

Operational details last checked 2026-09-07. Facts of this kind are treated as current for 120 days.

Wikidata records no official website for the theatre building entity; the URL recorded here belongs to the resident company and was read directly during verification.

Nearby verified places

Performing arts

Royal Festival Hall

South Bank

The Royal Festival Hall is a concert hall on the South Bank in London, built for the Festival of Britain and opened in 1951. It is part of the Southbank Centre and was the first post-war building in the United Kingdom to be given Grade I listed status.

Civic & heritage

The Savoy

Covent Garden

The Savoy is a hotel on the Strand in London, opened in 1889 beside the Savoy Theatre, Grade II listed, and the first luxury hotel in Britain to be lit throughout by electricity.

Architecture & design

Middle Temple Hall

City of London

Middle Temple Hall is a listed building in City of London, London, on the National Heritage List for England at Grade I, the highest of the three grades and reserved for buildings of exceptional interest.

Performing arts

Old Vic Theatre

Lambeth

Old Vic Theatre is a listed building in Lambeth, London, on the National Heritage List for England at Grade II*, the middle grade, for particularly important buildings of more than special interest.

Appears in

Explore London

Places records what is here. The city intelligence platform measures how the city works.