Bankside Gallery can host evening receptions, corporate drinks, book launches and private events for up to 200 guests on London's South Bank. The gallery stands on the Thames riverside at 48 Hopton Street, next to Tate Modern, and it is offered for exclusive hire in the evening.
Seminars and company events
The gallery is hired out for corporate hospitality, networking evenings, book launches and drinks receptions. It is an evening venue. Events run from 6 p.m. until as late as 11 p.m., and the whole gallery is yours for that time. The format suits a client reception, an internal celebration, a publication or product launch, or a charity evening.
It is not a daytime conference space. The official site does not describe seated plenary layouts, breakout rooms or projection equipment, so plan it as a standing or lightly seated gathering. A PA system with a handheld microphone is included, which covers welcome words and short speeches.
The exhibition on the walls changes through the year. The gallery shows contemporary work in water-based media and original printmaking, so guests have something to look at and talk about while they mingle.
Rooms and capacities
There is a single event space, on the ground floor. The event page gives about 1,500 square feet and a capacity of up to 200 people for a drinks reception. The entrance is on the riverside, and wheelchair access is available inside and out.
The hire includes exclusive use of the gallery from 6 p.m., an adjoining kitchen space, event management support, reception staffing, the PA system, coat racks and wheelchair access. Catering equipment is not included in the kitchen, so your caterer should bring what it needs.
The exhibition hire page describes the main space as roughly 200 square metres, with 100 square metres of hanging space and walls 3.5 metres high. Ask the team to confirm the usable floor area and the layout for your guest count.
Catering
Bankside Gallery has no tied caterers and does not charge corkage. The team can recommend caterers, or you can bring a professional caterer of your own choice. That lets you keep the supplier and menu style your company already uses.
History and setting
The gallery was established in 1980. It is the home of two Royal societies, the Royal Watercolour Society and the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers, and it shows and sells work by their elected members. More than 55,000 visitors come each year. Outside event hours it is open daily during exhibitions, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The setting is Bankside, a cultural quarter on the south bank of the Thames, one bridge away from the City. Tate Modern is the immediate neighbor.
Getting there
The south entrance of Blackfriars station is directly adjacent to the gallery. Southwark and London Bridge stations are within easy walking distance, along with Blackfriars Underground station. Guests coming from the City can cross the river on foot.
