{"id":636619,"date":"2025-12-16T19:43:24","date_gmt":"2025-12-16T19:43:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/636619\/"},"modified":"2025-12-16T19:43:24","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T19:43:24","slug":"londons-barbican-centre-announces-upcoming-closure-for-renovation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/636619\/","title":{"rendered":"london&#8217;s barbican centre announces upcoming closure for renovation"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>a Brutalist Landmark Pauses<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/architecture-in-london\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>London<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s unmistakable <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/brutalist-architecture\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Brutalist<\/strong><\/a> colossus, the Barbican Centre, is set to pause its regular operations and close its doors for a full year beginning in June 2028 as part of an ambitious <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/renovation-architecture-and-design\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>renovation<\/strong><\/a> program. The project will be led by Allies and Morrison, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/asif-khan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Asif Khan Studio<\/strong><\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/buro-happold\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Buro Happold<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Barbican, a Grade II-listed cultural powerhouse designed by Chamberlin, Powell &amp; Bon and built between 1965 and 1982, has since stood as an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/architectural-icons\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>iconic<\/strong><\/a> mixed-use development with residential, recreational, and cultural facilities. It houses one of Europe\u2019s most celebrated multi-arts portfolios, including the Barbican <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/museums-galleries\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Art Gallery<\/strong><\/a>, Curve, Level 2 Gallery, a world-class concert hall, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/theaters\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>theatre<\/strong><\/a> spaces, cinemas, and the much-loved Conservatory. The building was captured in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/architecture\/concrete-towers-water-gardens-elevated-paths-barbican-david-altrath-lens-11-21-2025\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>recent photographs<\/strong><\/a> by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/david-altrath\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>David Altrath<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-1165609 size-full\" bad-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/concrete-towers-water-gardens-elevated-paths-barbican-david-altrath-lens-designboom-02.jpg\" alt=\"barbican centre renovation\" width=\"818\" height=\"545\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/concrete-towers-water-gardens-elevated-paths-barbican-david-altrath-lens-designboom-02.jpg\"  data- \/><br \/>images \u00a9 <a href=\"https:\/\/davidaltrath.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">David Altrath<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>the year-long \u2018barbican renewal programme\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Nearly forty-five years after the centre\u2019s opening, wear and aging infrastructure have begun to show, prompting a renovation dubbed the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.barbican.org.uk\/our-story\/how-were-changing\/barbican-renewal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Barbican Renewal Programme<\/strong><\/a>. Led by <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.asif-khan.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Asif Khan Studio<\/a><\/strong>, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.alliesandmorrison.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Allies and Morrison<\/a><\/strong>, and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.burohappold.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Buro Happold<\/a><\/strong>, the extensive overhaul aims at securing the center\u2019s future for decades to come. The project will see key public spaces \u2014 from the dramatic foyers and lakeside terrace to the landmark Conservatory \u2014 restored and reimagined, while vital infrastructure is modernized to meet contemporary standards of accessibility, sustainability, and creative flexibility.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-1165612 size-full\" bad-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/concrete-towers-water-gardens-elevated-paths-barbican-david-altrath-lens-designboom-05.jpg\" alt=\"barbican centre renovation\" width=\"818\" height=\"545\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/concrete-towers-water-gardens-elevated-paths-barbican-david-altrath-lens-designboom-05.jpg\"  data- \/><br \/>the centre was designed by Chamberlin, Powell &amp; Bon and built between 1965 and 1982<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>the renovation: What Will Close and What Will Remain Open<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The closure will run from the end of June 2028 until summer 2029. During this time, most of Barbican programs and spaces will be under construction. However, the Barbican cinemas on Beech Street will remain open, and the surrounding residential estate will stay accessible. In addition, creative partnerships and off-site programming are expected to help maintain the Barbican\u2019s cultural presence across London while the walls are quiet.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The City of London Corporation has already committed a \u00a3191 million funding package toward the first phase of renewal, representing roughly eighty per cent of the required investment, with the remainder to be raised through a fundraising campaign. This ambitious pause comes at a defining moment with the Barbican\u2019s fiftieth anniversary on the horizon in 2032.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-1165614 size-full\" bad-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/concrete-towers-water-gardens-elevated-paths-barbican-david-altrath-lens-designboom-07.jpg\" alt=\"barbican centre renovation\" width=\"818\" height=\"545\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/concrete-towers-water-gardens-elevated-paths-barbican-david-altrath-lens-designboom-07.jpg\"  data- \/><br \/>the closure will run from the end of June 2028 until summer 2029<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>project info:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>name: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.barbican.org.uk\/our-story\/how-were-changing\/barbican-renewal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Barbican Renewal Programme<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/barbicancentre\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@barbicancentre<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>architects:<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.alliesandmorrison.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Allies and Morrison<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.asif-khan.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Asif Khan Studio<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.burohappold.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Buro Happold<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>closure dates: <\/strong>June 2028 \u2014 Summer 2029<\/p>\n<p><strong>photography:\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a9 <a href=\"https:\/\/davidaltrath.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">David Altrath<\/a> |\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/davidaltrath\/?hl=enhttps:\/\/www.instagram.com\/davidaltrath\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@davidaltrath<\/a><\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"a Brutalist Landmark Pauses \u00a0 London\u2019s unmistakable Brutalist colossus, the Barbican Centre, is set to pause its regular&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":636620,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7757],"tags":[79879,65844,7530,182345,748,112286,393,4884,257,3885,14813,32538,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-636619","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-london","8":"tag-architectural-icons","9":"tag-architecture-in-london","10":"tag-architecture-in-the-uk","11":"tag-asif-khan","12":"tag-britain","13":"tag-brutalist-architecture","14":"tag-england","15":"tag-great-britain","16":"tag-london","17":"tag-museums-and-galleries","18":"tag-renovation-and-restoration-architecture-and-design","19":"tag-theaters","20":"tag-uk","21":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115730961928682599","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/636619","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=636619"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/636619\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/636620"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=636619"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=636619"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=636619"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}