Bankside is a district in the London Borough of Southwark. It is positioned on the southern bank of the River Thames, 2.4 km east of Charing Cross. It's part of the business improvement district referred to as Better Bankside.
Bankside is the riverside of the former liberties of the Clink and Paris Garden. Throughout the Elizabethan period, these places were outside the City of London’s jurisdiction so they became the homes of bear baiting pits and playhouses, including the Rose, the Swan and the Globe Theatre. There has been a great deal of regeneration in recent years, becoming well-known with tourists. The skyline of Bankside is accentuated by the former Bankside Power Station, that is now the Tate Modern.
The Bankside 1/2/3 complex on Southwark Street is the most major new development inside the district. The three buildings house about 5,000 employees. Bankside 1 is also referred to as the Blue Fin Building and it is partially occupied by IPC Media, whilst Bankside Two and 3 are occupied by the Omnicom Group Ltd.
From 2010, many development schemes have transformed Blackfriars Road from the bridge towards the south at St. George’s Circus and new buildings stand in place of post-World War II offices. These buildings are residential and hotel accommodation along its length, particularly at the junction with Stamford Street exactly where a great deal of high rises have been constructed.