The company has spent £2.8m developing the Lion & the Unicorn in The Sidings, within the former Eurostar terminus and will create 70 new jobs at the site.
The pub will specialise in real ales and traditional ciders, as well as craft and world beers, serving a wide range of different draught ales, as well as bottled beers, including those from local and regional brewers.
The new pub interior design is inspired by the historic architecture that once made the Lion and the Unicorn Pavilion a fan favourite at the Festival of Britain – which took place in 1951 that focused on Britain and its achievements.
Great addition
The attitude to light, colour and innovation at the festival (the complete opposite to pre-1951 Britain) have all been adopted in the design.
Family members of the 1951 pavilion architects and festival graphic designers have also shared original drawings and sketches, which have been incorporated into the new pub design.
JDW regional manager Barry Brewster said: “We are looking forward to welcoming customers into the Lion & the Unicorn and we are confident that the pub will be a great addition to Waterloo’s social scene.”
Artwork in pub
Historical photos and details of local history, as well as artwork and images of local scenes and characters of the area, are also displayed in the pub, some following collaborations with local artists, as well as the Southbank Centre, with other connections to the key figures which once brought the 1951 festival to life.
The Royal Festival Hall is the only building remaining from the Festival of Britain, held from May to September 1951, on the South Bank.
The 27-acre Festival of Britain site extended along the riverfront from Westminster Bridge (past Hungerford Bridge) to Waterloo Bridge. In 1951, more than 8m paid to see the ultra-modern Dome of Discovery (then the world’s largest dome), the 300ft high Skylon tower and the Lion & the Unicorn Pavilion, from where the new pub takes its name.
