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Previously seen in...
As It Was
Dir. Tanu Muino, 2022
Official Music Video
Emotion in motion - Harry Styles spins, stumbles and soars through the Barbican’s stark geometry in this intimate, era-defining visual.
Filmed across the Barbican’s concrete walkways and iconic stairwells, As It Was turns our Centre into a raw, minimalist stage for heartbreak and transformation. The brutalist forms serve as both cage and canvas as Styles dances his way through personal evolution in a single red outfit.
The Hunger
Dir. Tony Scott, 1983 (MGM)
Starring Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie, Susan Sarandon
A cult erotic horror drenched in style and shadows, Tony Scott’s directorial debut transformed the Barbican’s brutalist skyline into a gothic-modern vampire’s lair.
When ancient immortals clash with modern science, the result is seduction, obsession, and decay. In this loose adaptation of Whitley Strieber’s novel, the Barbican towers loom over a tragic love triangle between a sleep-research doctor (Sarandon) and a vampire couple (Deneuve and Bowie).
Andor
Created by Tony Gilroy, 2022-25 (Disney)
A Star Wars Original Series
The Barbican becomes Coruscant - cold, concrete, and deeply compelling in a galaxy not so far away.
In Andor, the Barbican’s monolithic towers and labyrinthine walkways transcend Earth to portray the imperial capital of Coruscant. With its harsh lines, echoing lifts and grey grandeur, the estate perfectly embodies the series’ grounded rebellion and political intrigue. Brutalism has never looked more intergalactic.
Lockwood & Co.
Dir. William McGregor, Catherine Morshead, Joe Cornish, 2023 (Netflix)
Created by Joe Cornish
Swords, spectres, and psychic teens - the Barbican transforms into a haunted London like no other.
In this ghost-fighting adventure series, the Barbican’s shadowed stairwells and concrete corridors become the headquarters of the Fittes Agency. The Centre's angular architecture and hidden depths set the perfect tone for a world plagued by spirits - modern, mysterious, and quietly menacing.
The Fourth Protocol
Dir. John Mackenzie, 1987 (Rank Film Distributors)
Starring Michael Caine, Pierce Brosnan
Cold War tension meets brutalist elegance - the Barbican Hall as the stage for espionage and suspense.
In this gripping spy thriller, the Barbican Hall and foyers hosts pivotal scenes where secrets unravel and alliances shift. Its stark, concrete interiors amplify the film’s atmosphere of paranoia and political intrigue, making it an unforgettable backdrop for Cold War drama.
Quantum of Solace
Dir. Marc Forster, 2008 (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Columbia Pictures, Eon Productions)
Starring Daniel Craig, Judi Dench
MI6 goes brutalist - the Barbican Centre steps in as the nerve centre of espionage and action.
In this James Bond thriller, the our Sculpture Court’s sharp lines and fortress-like architecture become the headquarters of MI6, perfectly matching Bond’s cool, calculated world. The Centre’s imposing concrete facades and stark interiors provide a modern, edgy backdrop to high-stakes espionage and intense action sequences.
Spaces at the Barbican Centre include...
Barbican Conservatory
A hidden tropical oasis in the centre of London, where extraordinary plant life grows alongside soaring concrete towers underneath a vast glasshouse roof
Sculpture Court
The dramatic outdoor setting of the Sculpture Court is framed by curving concrete walkways and overlooked by the iconic forms of the Barbican’s residential towers
Lakeside Terrace
One of London’s most unexpected locations, a bustling terrace surrounded by a lake, fountains, elevated walkways and brutalist architecture
Foyers
Within the interiors of the Barbican Centre are a multi-levelled complex of foyers and staircases with a futuristic, brutalist aesthetic
Entrance Walkways
Connecting the levels of the Barbican Centre’s entrances are a sequence of cascading ramps and atmospherically lit concrete walkways
Production resources & booking
Commercial & large-scale filming and photography
If your request is for a commercial shoot and/or is a large-scale shoot, please contact the Barbican’s Business Events team, and you can read more about the filming and photography space hire services provided here.
Press/media filming and photography
If your request is for an editorial shoot about the Barbican Centre, please contact the Barbican’s Communications team by completing a request form and sending it to [email protected].
For performance or programming specific filming and photography enquiries, including taking pictures during a concert, please contact our Communications team.
Student/small-scale filming & photography
If your request is for a student or small-scale shoot, we have the following guidelines to help with this. Small-scale filming and photography in the open public spaces of the Barbican Centre (not including the Conservatory) can take place as long as:
- There is no more equipment than just a camera and tripod
- There is no more than 5 people in total
- There are no loud musical instruments or amplified music playback (due to the proximity of residential flats)
- Members of the public will not be prominently included in shot
Barbican Estate filming & photography
Please also be aware that we only look after filming and photography permissions for the interiors of the Barbican Centre and the Lakeside Terrace and Sculpture Court exterior areas of the Barbican Centre. If you would also like to film around the wider residential Barbican Estate, please contact the City of London Film Office.
Premieres & events
Poor Things
Dir. Yorgos Lanthimos, 2024 (Searchlight Pictures)
Surreal cinema meets architectural spectacle — a premiere as bold and unconventional as the film itself.
In October 2023, the Barbican hosted the UK premiere of Yorgos Lanthimos’ Oscar-winning Poor Things, transforming the Centre into a dreamlike stage for one of the year’s most audacious films. Guests, cast, and creatives arrived to a glowing red carpet beneath the towering concrete canopies, surrounded by the film’s distinctive visual identity projected across the Barbican’s surfaces.
20,000 Days on Earth
Dir. Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard, 2014 (Corniche Pictures, British Film Institute, Film4 Productions, Pulse Films)
One day in the life of Nick Cave — unveiled at London’s most enigmatic cultural space.
In 2014, the Barbican was the fitting venue for the UK premiere of 20,000 Days on Earth — a haunting, poetic exploration of creativity, memory, and performance, starring and co-written by musician Nick Cave. With its raw concrete architecture and underground atmosphere, the Barbican mirrored the film’s introspective tone and noir stylings.
Squid Games 3
Created by Hwang Dong-hyuk, 2025 (Netflix)
High-stakes survival unfolds under brutalist skies — the Barbican transformed into the epicentre of Seoul’s darkest games.
On June 12, 2025, the Barbican Centre hosted the London red‑carpet premiere of Squid Game 3, ahead of its global streaming debut on June 27. The Centre pulsed with anticipation as cast and creators - including Lee Jung‑jae, Lee Byung‑hun, director Hwang Dong‑hyuk, and Park Gyu‑young—graced the iconic venue and electrifying 'pink carpet' outside our concrete facades.
Too Much
Created by Lena Dunham & Luis Felber, 2025 (Netflix)
When New York heartbreak hits London streets - the Barbican sets the stage for a rom‑com rebirth.
The Barbican Centre hosted the glittering UK premiere of Too Much, Lena Dunham and Luis Felber’s trans‑Atlantic romantic comedy for Netflix. The venue’s raw Brutalist lines provided a striking contrast to the series' emotional warmth, capturing the poignancy of moving on mid‑life under the city's iconic concrete skies.
Roll cameras
From underground thrillers to intergalactic sagas, music videos to modern noir - the Barbican has become a creative legend for filmmakers, producers, and visionaries across the globe. Whether you’re scouting for a dystopian cityscape, an elegant cultural interior, or a bold Brutalist canvas, this is the place where stories come alive.
We have the spaces and dedicated teams to enable you to let your creativity shine.
Ready to make your mark?
Book your recce today or download our production pack here to get started.
