A Grade II listed building, the Barbican Centre is the largest performing arts venue in Europe and one of London’s best examples of Brutalist architecture.
The idea to build the Barbican Centre began in the 1960s as part of a utopian vision to transform an area of London left devastated by bombing during the
Second World War. After years of deliberation and debate, construction of the centre finally began in 1971 based on plans drawn up by architects
Chamberlain, Powell and Bon. The centre took over a decade to build, with the final cost totaling £156 million (it would cost an astonishing £500 million
to build today).
The Barbican Centre was opened by The Queen in 1982, who declared it ‘one of the modern wonders of the world’ with the building seen as a landmark in terms
of its scale, cohesion and ambition. As it enters its fourth decade, the centre continues to push boundaries across the arts, offering music, theatre,
dance, film, art and design. Its stunning spaces and unique location at the heart of the Barbican Estate have made it an internationally recognised venue,
set within an urban landscape acknowledged as one of the most significant architectural achievements of the 20th century.
Find out more about the history and architecture of the Barbican estate on one of our Architecture tours
Go behind the scenes at the Barbican on one of our Hidden Barbican tours
