submitted by Adam Baggs
The City of London Corporation has approved a £191 million funding package to support critical repairs and upgrades at the iconic Barbican Centre.
Elected Members of the City Corporation’s top decision-making body, the Court of Common Council, agreed the move on Thursday 5 December.
The package will fund phase one of the Barbican Renewal Programme, a five-year project of works to secure the future of this internationally renowned, grade-II listed arts conference and events centre.
The Barbican Centre was opened by HM The Queen in 1982, who declared it “one of the wonders of the modern world.” Future works will safeguard its future as a leading arts venue by making it fit for the 21st century, with improvements to accessibility and energy efficiency.
The Programme is one of several transformative projects being delivered by the City Corporation, including the Salisbury Square Development, which will house the new City of London Police HQ and multi-courts complex, and the new London Museum at West Smithfield. The Barbican Renewal Programme is a key component of Destination City, the City Corporation’s growth strategy for the Square Mile as a world-leading business, culture, event and leisure location.
The City Corporation’s £191m contribution represents around 80% of the amount needed for the first five-year phase of the Barbican’s long-term renewal programme.
A major fundraising campaign will be launched by the Barbican Centre in 2025 to enable the complete restoration and refurbishment of key public spaces at the venue. This includes upgrades to its unique brutalist foyers, lakeside terrace, and conservatory – the largest glasshouse in central London.
Funding raised will open up these celebrated spaces to all, deliver major new creative community and learning activities, provide improved facilities for conferences and events, and make major sustainability improvements to ensure net-zero commitments are met.
As one of the world’s leading multi-arts and conference venues, the Barbican Centre has showcased groundbreaking art and events from around the world for over four decades.
It reaches 1.5 million people each year with initiatives aimed at ensuring the widest possible range of people can experience the power of art.
The project will sensitively preserve the complex, respecting its Grade II listed status, and the original architectural vision of the arts and conference centre, which is now more than 40 years old. Built between 1971-1982, the Barbican relies on aged and outdated systems, and an ambitious programme of restoration is needed.
City Corporation Policy Chairman, Chris Hayward, said: “The Barbican Centre is a fantastic international venue with an exciting future. This funding underlines our support, recognising its unique role as a leading cultural institution and driver of economic growth, contributing £86 million a year to the UK economy and supporting around than 1,100 jobs across London.
“The Barbican Centre is central to the Square Mile’s cultural identity and plays a pivotal role in our attractiveness as a place to work and visit.”
Chair of the City Corporation’s Barbican Centre Board, Sir William Russell, said: “This is a critical time to help shape the future of a compelling and extraordinary organisation, building on decades of excellence and achievement.”
Director of Commercial at the Barbican, Jackie Boughton added: “This decision marks a transformative moment for the Barbican Centre and its ability to host world-class conferences and events. The investment will ensure our facilities remain at the forefront of the industry, offering enhanced accessibility, sustainability, and an even more inspiring environment for our clients and attendees. It is a testament to the Barbican’s vital role as a leading destination for culture, business, and collaboration, and I’m thrilled to see this bold step toward securing its future.”
Welcoming the announcement Kathryn McDowell, Managing Director of the London Symphony Orchestra, the Barbican’s resident orchestra, said: “This decision is excellent news, enabling essential works to the Barbican Centre to be undertaken. Safeguarding the future of such an iconic, important and internationally renowned cultural venue could not be more vital.”
Welcoming the announcement Sir Howard Panter, Joint CEO and Creative Director of Trafalgar Entertainment, a long-standing Barbican supporter, said: “As an ardent Barbican supporter, I am grateful to all those responsible for ensuring many more people can attend its events for many more years. It is a truly wonderful venue, and I will be following the Renewal closely as plans begin to take shape.”
The Barbican Renewal Programme design process – led by Allies and Morrison, Asif Khan Studio, and Buro Happold – has already involved significant public consultation, with feedback and ideas being sought from the public and stakeholders, and a new, more detailed phase of consultation will begin early next year.
Subject to planning permission, construction will begin in 2027 with this first phase complete in time for the Barbican’s 50th anniversary in 2032.
The City Corporation is one of the largest funders of heritage and cultural activities in the UK, investing over £130m every year. The organisation manages a range of world-class cultural and heritage institutions, including the Barbican Centre, Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Guildhall Art Gallery, Guildhall Library, The London Archives, and Keats House. It also supports the London Symphony Orchestra and the London Museum.
About Barbican Business Events
The Barbican is one of the world’s leading conference and international arts venues. Located in the City of London, it is capable of holding meetings from 10-2,000 delegates in its fully equipped concert hall, theatres, conference suites and boardrooms. Barbican Business Events brings together the venue’s expertise in the arts and corporate meetings.
Built as part of London’s Barbican development and officially opened in March 1982 by HM Queen Elizabeth, unlike many other venues, Barbican was specifically built with the dual purpose of holding conferences and arts events presenting a diverse range of art, music, theatre, dance, film and creative learning.
The Barbican’s Business Events team contributes to the venue’s future success. To make the most of the Barbican’s rich culture and heritage, Barbican Business Events was created to bring together their expertise in three very different areas – the arts, creative learning and corporate business. This approach to corporate events is based on stronger, more in-depth partnerships with their artistic, creative learning and development teams in order to bring more creativity and rich content to events.
About the Barbican
The Barbican is a catalyst for creativity, sparking possibilities for artists, audiences, and communities. We showcase the most exciting art from around the world, pushing traditional artistic boundaries to entertain and inspire millions of people, create connections, provoke debate, and reflect the world we live in.
We are an international arts and events centre rooted firmly in our own neighbourhood, collaborating with local communities and putting the City of London on the map as a destination for everybody. Central to our purpose is supporting emerging talent and shaping opportunities that will accelerate the next generation of creatives.
As a not-for-profit, we rely on the generosity of individuals and organisations, including our principal funder the City of London Corporation. Every ticket purchased, donation made, and pound earned supports our arts and learning programme and enables the widest possible range of people to experience the joy of the arts.
Opened in 1982, the Barbican is a unique and audacious building, recognised globally as an architectural icon. As well as our theatres, galleries, concert halls and cinemas, we have a large conservatory with over 1,500 species of plants and trees, a library, conference facilities, public and community spaces, restaurants, bars, and a picturesque lakeside oasis.
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