London’s Barbican Centre, home to the London Symphony Orchestra, have announced the latest plans as part of their refurbishment, ahead of the centre’s 50th anniversary in 2032.
The foyers, lakeside terrace and conservatory will all receive upgrades, improving accessibility as well as the structural integrity and sustainability of the buildings.
Other resident and associate ensembles of the Barbican Centre include the Academy of Ancient Music, the Britten Sinfonia and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. The centre also plays host to the Royal Shakespeare Company, EFG London Jazz Festival and the London Palestine Film Festival, among others.
Designed by Chamberlin, Powell and Bon, the Barbican Centre opened in 1982, and was Grade-II listed in 2001. The complex is one of the most popular cultural destinations in the City of London.
“We’ve been incredibly encouraged by the public’s enthusiasm for our plans,” Barbican director for buildings and renewal Philippa Simpson said, some of which have been public since January.
“This project is rooted in the vision and ambition of its founders, to reimagine what an arts centre can be in the 21st century – a vital, creative space for everyone,” Simpson commented in January.
Architectural firms Allies and Morrison and Asif Khan are managing the refurbishment, winning the contract in 2022. Other recent overhauls of the Barbican complex were carried out in 2006, including the creation of the adjacent cinemas. The Barbican’s art gallery was also upgraded in 2019.
The City of London Corporation has committed £191m of funds to the refurbishment project, four-fifths of its overall cost.
A previous £288m proposal to build a London Centre for Music on the site of the Museum of London, spearheaded by Sir Simon Rattle and designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, was rejected two years ago in favour of the Barbican refurbishment scheme.
