The Barbican Centre is a performing arts centre in the

Barbican Estate The Barbican Estate, or Barbican, is a residential complex of around 2,000 flats, maisonettes, and houses in central London, England, within the City of London. It is in an area once devastated by World War II bombings and densely populated b ...

of the City of London and the largest of its kind in Europe. The centre hosts classical and

contemporary music Contemporary classical music is classical music composed close to the present day. At the beginning of the 21st century, it commonly referred to the post-1945 modern forms of post-tonal music after the death of Anton Webern, and included serial ...

concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhibitions. It also houses a library, three restaurants, and a conservatory. The Barbican Centre is a member of the

Global Cultural Districts Network ThGlobal Cultural Districts Network (GCDN)is a federation of global centers of arts and culture. Its members represent cities, cultural districts, and cultural institutions from around the world, including Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, ...

. The London Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Symphony Orchestra are based in the centre's Concert Hall. In 2013, it once again became the London-based venue of the

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...

following the company's departure in 2001. The Barbican Centre is owned, funded, and managed by the City of London Corporation. It was built as the City's gift to the nation at a cost of £161 million (equivalent to £480 million in 2014) and was officially opened to the public by

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...

on 3 March 1982. The Barbican Centre is also known for its brutalist architecture.

Performance halls and facilities

* Barbican Hall: capacity 1,943; home of the London Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. * Barbican Theatre: capacity 1,156; designed exclusively by and for the

* The Pit: flexible 200-seat theatre venue * Barbican Art Gallery and the free new-commission gallery The Curve * Barbican Film: 3 cinema screens with seating capacity of 288, 156 and 156 * Barbican Library: Public lending library with special collections in arts and music * Restaurants: 3 * Conference halls: 7 * Trade exhibition halls: 2 * Informal performance spaces The second-floor library is one of the five City of London libraries. It is one of the largest public libraries in London and has a separate arts library, a large music library and a children's library which regularly conducts free events. The Barbican Library houses the 'London Collection' of historical books and resources, some of which date back 300 years, all being available on loan. The library presents regular literary events and has an art exhibition space for hire. The music library has two free practice pianos for public use.

History and design

The Barbican Centre had a long development period, only opening some years after the surrounding

housing complex had been finished. It is situated in an area which was badly bombed during World War II. The Barbican Centre, designed by

Peter Chamberlin Peter Hugh Girard Chamberlin (31 March 1919, London – 23 May 1978, Berkshire), most commonly known as Joe Chamberlin, was a post-War English architect most famous for his work on the Barbican Estate in London. Biography Chamberlin was born ...

, Geoffry Powell and Christoph Bon of

Chamberlin, Powell and Bon Chamberlin, Powell and Bon was a British firm of architects whose work involved designing the Barbican Estate. They are considered one of the most important modernist architectural firms in post-war England. Formation The practice was founde ...

in the

Brutalist Brutalist architecture is an architectural style that emerged during the 1950s in the United Kingdom, among the reconstruction projects of the post-war era. Brutalist buildings are characterised by Minimalism (art), minimalist constructions th ...

style, has a complex multi-level layout with numerous entrances. Lines painted on the ground help would-be audience members avoid getting lost on the walkways of the

, within which the centre is located, on the way to it. The Barbican Centre's design – a concrete ziggurat – has always been controversial and divides opinion. It was voted "London's ugliest building" in a Grey London poll in September 2003. In September 2001, arts minister Tessa Blackstone announced that the Barbican Centre complex was to be a

Grade II In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

listed building. It has been designated a site of special architectural interest for its scale, its cohesion and the ambition of the project. The centre was designed by architectural practice

, who were also responsible for the upscale residential area surrounding the centre (the

), as well as the nearby Golden Lane Estate. Project architect John Honer later worked on the British Library at St Pancras – a red brick ziggurat. In the mid-1990s, a cosmetic improvement scheme by

Theo Crosby Theo Crosby (3 April 1925 – 12 September 1994) was an architect, editor, writer and sculptor, engaged with major developments in design across four decades. He was also an early vocal critic of modern urbanism. He is best remembered as a found ...

, of the Pentagram design studio, added statues and decorative features reminiscent of the Arts and Crafts movement. In 2005–2006, the centre underwent a more significant refurbishment, designed by architects Allford Hall Monaghan Morris and

Roger Westman Roger Ulick Branch Westman (16 September 1939 - 29 April 2020) was a British architect. Early life and education Westman was born at Jarrow, County Durham in 1939, the eldest son of Kenneth Westman (diplomat), Kenneth Westman, a diplomat stat ...

, which improved circulation and introduced bold signage in a style in keeping with the centre's original 1970s Brutalist architecture. That improvement scheme added an internal bridge linking the Silk Street foyer area with the lakeside foyer area. The centre's Silk Street entrance, previously dominated by an access for vehicles, was modified to give better pedestrian access. The scheme included removing most of the mid-1990s embellishments. Outside, the main focal point of the centre is the lake and its neighbouring terrace. The theatre's fly tower has been surrounded by glass and made into a high-level conservatory. The Barbican Hall's acoustic has also been controversial: some praised it as attractively warm, but others found it too dry for large-scale orchestral performance. In 1994, Chicago acoustician Larry Kirkegaard oversaw a £500,000 acoustic re-engineering of the hall "producing a perceptible improvement in echo control and sound absorption", music critic Norman Lebrecht wrote in October 2000 – and returned in 2001 to rip out the stage canopy and drop adjustable acoustic reflectors, designed by Caruso St John, from the ceiling, as part of a £7.5 mn refurbishment of the hall. Art music magazine ''

Gramophone A phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone (as a trademark since 1887, as a generic name in the UK since 1910) or since the 1940s called a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogu ...

'' still complained about "the relative dryness of the Barbican acoustic" in August 2007. The theatre was built as the London home of the

, which was involved in the design, but decided not to renew its contract in 2002 after claiming a lack of performing space, plus the artistic director, Adrian Noble, wanting to develop the company's touring performances. The theatre's response was to extend its existing six-month season of international productions, "Barbican International Theatre Event", to the whole year. On 23 January 2013

Greg Doran Gregory Doran (born 24 November 1958) is an English director known for his Shakespearean work. ''The Sunday Times'' called him 'one of the great Shakespearians of his generation'. Doran was artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RS ...

, RSC artistic director, announced the company's return to the Barbican Centre in a three-year season of Shakespeare's history plays. The Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where the Barbican Centre theatrical performances are occasionally staged, and the City of London's Barbican Library, neither part of the centre, are also on the site. The

Museum of London The Museum of London is a museum in London, covering the history of the UK's capital city from prehistoric to modern times. It was formed in 1976 by amalgamating collections previously held by the City Corporation at the Guildhall, London, Gui ...

is nearby at

Aldersgate Aldersgate is a Ward of the City of London, named after one of the northern gates in the London Wall which once enclosed the City. The Ward of Aldersgate is traditionally divided into Aldersgate Within and Aldersgate Without, the suffix denot ...

, and is also within the Barbican Estate.

In popular culture

In literature

The Barbican Centre features in Michael Paraskos's novel ''In Search of Sixpence'' as the home of the lead character, Geroud, and also a bar called "The Gin Bar" loosely based on the Gin Joint bar at the Barbican Centre.Michael Paraskos, ''In Search of Sixpence'' (London: Friction Fiction, 2015)

TV and film

The centre has been used as a filming location for numerous TV shows and films, including the BBC series Luther and in the Disney+ series

Andor Andor may refer to: * ''Andor'' (TV series), a television series in the ''Star Wars'' universe **Cassian Andor, the titular character * Andor (''Wheel of Time''), a country in Robert Jordan's ''The Wheel of Time'' novels * Andor Technology, a ...

Gallery

File:London Barbican Hall LSO a.jpg, The Barbican Hall of the Barbican Centre File:Barbican Arts Centre stage door - geograph.org.uk - 1408504.jpg, The Barbican Centre stage door File:Barbican Foyer.JPG, The Barbican Centre foyer File:Barbican Interior 1.JPG, Interior of The Barbican Centre File:Barbican Interior 4.JPG, Entrance of The Barbican Centre File:Barbican Interior 5.JPG, Shot of The Barbican Centre's ceiling File:Barbican Centre night 2011 2.jpg, The Barbican Centre at night File:Barbican library (7049041697).jpg, The entrance to the Barbican Library File:Jewin Crescent.jpg, Jewin Crescent - Barbican before the Barbican

Nearby railway stations

* Barbican tube station * Farringdon station *

Liverpool Street railway station Liverpool Street station, also known as London Liverpool Street, is a central London railway terminus and connected London Underground station in the north-eastern corner of the City of London, in the ward of Bishopsgate Without. It is the t ...

* Moorgate tube station *

St Paul's tube station St Paul's is a London Underground station located in the City of London financial district. The station, which takes its name from the nearby St Paul's Cathedral, is on the Central line, between Bank and Chancery Lane stations, and is in far ...

References

External links

*
The history of the Barbican Estate

Stay with Barbican Centre hotels

Analysis of the centre after 20 years.

Interview with Alex Webb at The Barbican

Italian restaurant, Osteria, located on the second floor of the Barbican Centre
{{authority control Barbican Estate 1982 establishments in England Art museums and galleries in London Arts centres in London Music venues completed in 1982 Concert halls in London Dance in London Event venues established in 1982 Grade II listed buildings in the City of London London Symphony Orchestra Museums in the City of London Theatres in the City of London Brutalist architecture in London