Barbican - barbican at 25



	barbican at 25 new look

Barbican's new look

Following 7 years of major refurbishment costing over £35million, the Barbican now has a fresh look, which complements its forward-thinking vision as Europe’s largest arts centre.
Award-winning architectural practice Allford Hall Monaghan Morris has restored and enhanced many of the original design features.
Finally the Barbican has a new front door on Silk Street, while Alex Hartley’s new light wall installation in the main entrance captures the buzz inside. Additionally, every venue has undergone major work, including the huge improvements to the acoustics in Barbican Hall.

View the images below for a slide show of the Barbican's new look

		Proposal for Barbican silk Street Entrance

		Original architects Chamberlin, Powell and Bon design for Barbican Silk Street entrance. view details

		Silk Street

		Architects Allford Hall Monaghan Morris has given the Barbican a front door, which reinforces the Barbican’s strong identity, as London’s major arts centre, hosting visual art, theatre, music, dance, film, education all under one roof. The new front door echoes many of the features of the original design. view details

		New Entrance Interior

		Alex Hartley has created a light wall in the main entrance of the Barbican which captures the dynamism and energy of the City’s creative powerhouse. The design plays on the iconic symbols of the Barbican view details

		Level 3 Signage

		Cartlidge Levene and Studio Myerscough have completely redesigned the signage to improve navigation round the Centre. Most recently, they won the Design Award for their work throughout the Centre. view details

		Barbican’s new identity

		Barbican Signage Silk Street. New signage throughout the Barbican Centre is designed by Cartlidge Levene and Studio Myerscough, which they most recently won the Design Award for. view details

		Barbican’s new identity

		Barbican Identity Silk Street view details

		Advance Ticket Desk

		Whereas previous improvements tried to cover-up much of the 1970s building design, Peter Morris’ practice has stripped back these latter additions, to reveal the simplicity of the strikingly original features and its unique, strong identity. Coloured up-lighters make a feature of the original coffers. The new signage throughout the Barbican Centre is designed by Cartlidge Levene and Studio Myerscough, which they most recently won the Design Award for. view details

		Cinema Foyer

		Peter Morris’ practice also uses the same idea for the cinema foyer. The new signage throughout the Barbican Centre is designed by Cartlidge Levene and Studio Myerscough, which they most recently won the Design Award for. view details

		Barbican Hall 1982

		Barbican Hall following its opening in 1982 view details

		Barbican Hall Cross View

		In 2001, Barbican Hall underwent a major refurbishment at a cost of £7.5million which greatly improved the whole concert experience. Kirkegaard Associates radically improved the acoustics with striking acoustic reflectors designed by Caruso St John. At the same time, the air-conditioning system was upgraded and infrastructure was modernised, making the Hall full-flexible to host everything from opera performances to dance and film. view details

		New Barbican Hall and Orchestra

		Barbican Hall following refurbishment in 2001 with resident orchestra, the LSO. view details

		Barbican Theatre

		Similar improvements to comfort and infrastructure were made to all the venues round the Centre. Barbican Theatre was redeveloped at a cost of £2.3million. view details

		Art Gallery

		In April 2004, the Barbican Art Gallery reopened after a £2.3m redevelopment designed by Allford Hall Monagham Morris, which created an additional 140 m2 of gallery space. view details

		Cinema 1

		The auditorium of Cinema 1 was refurbished in 2005 with new seating, new carpet and the renewal of old lighting fittings. view details

		Cloakroom

		view details

		Bars

		All the bars and restaurants have been redesigned. view details

		Audience at Bar Stalls

		All the public spaces have been revitalised view details

		Lakeside Terrace

		Outside spaces have been made more convivial to create an urban retreat from the noise and pollution of the City. view details

		Conservatory

		Rather eccentrically, the Barbican has its very own conservatory, the biggest outside Kew and within the M25 belt. This is used for conferences and receptions. view details

		Fireworks on Lakeside

		Barbican uses the dramatic backdrop of St. Giles Cripplegate for its annual fireworks display in the Mostly Mozart Festival. view details

		Snow on Barbican

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		Barbican - iconic landmark

		The Barbican has now become an iconic landmark on the City’s skyline. Over the past 2 decades, the Barbican has become the creative hub within London’s financial district, providing a urban retreat from the busy metropolis. view details

		Barbican and the City of London

		The Barbican Towers were the tallest in Europe when they were completed between 1973 and 1973.

From the 40th floor, the Towers offer breathtaking views across the whole of London. This view from the roof of Lauderdale Tower spans across the Barbican Estates towards the souring Swiss Re Skyscraper and Natwest Tower. Since the completion of the Barbican, the City of London skyline has been completely transformed by this thrilling architectural innovation.

		Night Skyline



"The City of London commissioned a firm of bright young architects to rebuild a part of what had once been Roman London on a scale and density as never before. Instead of crooked old pre-war streets, a mighty concrete bastion would arise, its three 400-ft towers and 18 other residential blocks housing no fewer than 2,104 flats designed according to more than 140 different, interlocking plans. Where the population of Cripplegate had fallen to just 48 immediately after the Second World War, now it would reach more than 4,000. The City of London was truly on the rise again." Jonathan Glancey, Architectural Correspondent, The Guardian

		View From the Roof of the Shakespeare Tower



"I lived here for four years, and was astonished by the quiet. By far the noisiest element, if purely in visual terms, are the zig-zag elevations of the three great residential towers – Cromwell, Shakespeare and Lauderdale – which, especially on days of deep, crisp shadows, stand out like the mightiest imaginable works of modern abstract sculpture. By way of contrast, their rooftops, or skylines, are almost Baroque in composition, as if created by some latter-day Hawksmoor or Vanbrugh." Jonathan Glancey, Architectural Correspondent, The Guardian