The Royal Festival Hall in London will reopen next month after a £115m ($220m) refit to replace parts of the crumbling structure and improve the acoustics.

Built in 1950 for the 1951 Festival of Britain, the Hall is part of the South Bank Arts complex which was a wonder in its day. Since then, the concrete and glass construction has not worn well and the impression has been of faded glory and austerity architecture.

The acoustics were much criticised, especially by the string sections of orchestras. The problem was that the panels in the walls were so flimsy they vibrated with the violins and cellos, enhancing their effect to almost painful levels, particularly for lower notes. Now, the panels have been replaced by something more solid.

Graham Morrison described what visitors will now notice : “First impression will be of a restored clarity. The recovered transparency of the main foyer will remind everyone of the concept of the egg of the auditorium raised up in a box. The new works are not radical: they simply help reveal the original design.”

We look forward to monitoring the first concert and hope it lives up to expectations.