The Crystal Palace Park Concert Platform, formerly the Crystal Palace Bowl, is an outdoor stage and performance venue in

Crystal Palace Park Crystal Palace Park is a park in south-east London, Grade II* listed on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens. It was laid out in the 1850s as a pleasure ground, centred around the re-location of The Crystal Palace – the largest glass ...

in the

London Borough of Bromley The London Borough of Bromley () is a London Borough, borough in London, England. It is the largest and southeasternmost borough in London, and borders the county of Kent, of which it formed part until 1965. The borough's population in the 2021 ...

. The platform and stage are positioned within a small lake overlooking a large bowl in the landscape that is capable of holding 8,000 people. The stage can accommodate a 100 piece orchestra. The platform has what has been described as the world's first computer controlled outdoor active acoustic system, with a total of 46 speakers. A pair of columns either side of the platform contain more speakers and an amplification system.

History

The Crystal Palace Bowl was constructed in 1961. It originally hosted classical concerts, before moving to popular music through the 1970s and 1980s.

Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experiments ...

performed at the Bowl on 15 May 1971 to a crowd of 15,000, though their performance was marred by heavy rain.

Yes Yes or YES may refer to: * An affirmative particle in the English language; see yes and no Education * YES Prep Public Schools, Houston, Texas, US * Young Eisner Scholars, in Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, and Appalachia, US * Young Ep ...

performed at the venue on 31 July. At one event in 1972,

The Who The Who are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup (1964–1978) consisted of lead vocalist Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon. Considered one of th ...

drummer

Keith Moon Keith John Moon (23 August 1946 – 7 September 1978) was an English musician who was the drummer for the rock band the Who. Regarded as one of the greatest drummers in the history of rock music, he was noted for his unique style of playing and ...

acted as compere; after arriving via helicopter and reaching the stage by hovercraft, he proceeded to take a rowing boat on the lake and, while dressed as a pirate, served tea and cake to people in the crowd closest to the waters edge. Audience members, again went into the lake in 1974 when inflatable dinosaurs meant to act out, on the water, the climactic battle in

Rick Wakeman Richard Christopher Wakeman (born 18 May 1949) is an English keyboardist and composer best known as a member of the progressive rock band Yes across five tenures between 1971 and 2004, and for his prolific solo career. AllMusic describes Wakema ...

's '' Journey to the Centre of the Earth'', instead failed to fully inflate and became stuck in front of the stage, blocking the view.

Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981) was a Jamaican singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, he fused elements of reggae, ska and rocksteady and was renowned for his distinctive voca ...

performed his largest and last ever concert in London at the venue on 7 June 1980, an event which is commemorated on the site with a blue plaque with Ethiopian/pan-African/Rastafari tri-colours. It was Marley's last UK concert, and the first one where he played " Redemption Song" accompanying himself on acoustic guitar. The Bowl fell into disrepair and was replaced in 1997 by the Crystal Palace Concert Platform, an oxidised steel structure with an angled roof rising above a hardwood stage. The first performance took place there in August 1997. The structure, designed by Ian Ritchie Architects, was nominated for the

RIBA ''Riba'' (, or , ) is an Arabic word used in Islamic law and roughly translated as " usury": unjust, exploitative gains made in trade or business. ''Riba'' is mentioned and condemned in several different verses in the Qur'an3:130

Stirling Prize The Royal Institute of British Architects Stirling Prize is a British prize for excellence in architecture. It is named after the architect James Stirling, organised and awarded annually by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). The ...

award in 1998. The project received the 'Excellence in Design' award from the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach progr ...

. The architects described their design as focusing on the use of natural colour, contrasting senses of gravity and levity, and simplicity of material and surface. The stage became known locally as the "rusty laptop". The new stage was initially in use from 1997 to 2007 and subsequently fell into disrepair; the structure becoming covered in graffiti and the lake filling with algae. By 2017, the London Borough of Bromley were "exploring potential new uses". A temporary stage was installed on the lake for a series of concerts in August 2021, with plans to restore the Concert Platform stage in 2022. This concert series runs annually, however is still using temporary staging.

References

External links

Concert Platform
{{coord, 51.4240, -0.0691, region:GB_type:landmark, display=title Buildings and structures in the London Borough of Bromley Music venues in London Tourist attractions in the London Borough of Bromley Crystal Palace, London