Galleries · London
Barbican Centre
Barbican Centre — arts centre in the City of London.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1 h–2 h
- Best time of year
- Year-round
- Nearest railway station
- Barbican · 0.3 km
- Paid entry
- Family-friendly
- Wheelchair accessible
About
Barbican Centre is an art gallery in the United Kingdom. Records date its origin to 1982. Designed by Chamberlin, Powell and Bon. Built in the brutalist architecture style. Heritage designation: Grade II listed building. Owned by City of London Corporation. Part of Barbican Estate. Wikidata describes it as: "arts centre in the City of London". Coordinates: 51.5202°, -0.0950°.
Photo gallery
Heritage listing
The Barbican Centre is a performing arts centre in the Barbican Estate of the City of London, England. The centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhibitions. It also houses a library, three restaurants, and a conservatory. The Barbican Centre is a member of the Global Cultural Districts Network. The London Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Symphony Orchestra are based in the centre's Concert Hall. In 2013, it once again became the London-based venue of the Royal Shakespeare Company following the company's departure in 2001. It was built as the City of London's gift to the nation at a cost of £161 million (equivalent to £574 million in 2025), and was officially opened to the public by Queen Elizabeth II on 3 March 1982.
From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
The Barbican Centre is a performing arts centre in the Barbican Estate of the City of London, England. The centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhibitions. It also houses a library, three restaurants, and a conservatory. The Barbican Centre is a member of the Global Cultural Districts Network. The London Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Symphony Orchestra are based in the centre's Concert Hall. In 2013, it once again became the London-based venue of the Royal Shakespeare Company following the company's departure in 2001. It was built as the City of London's gift to the nation at a cost of £161 million (equivalent to £574 million in 2025), and was officially opened to the public by Queen Elizabeth II on 3 March 1982. Together with the Southbank Centre, a similar arts centre, the Barbican Centre is also known for its brutalist architecture.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
The Barbican Centre had a long development period, only opening some years after the surrounding Barbican Estate housing complex had been completed. It is situated in an area which was badly bombed during World War II. The Barbican Centre, designed by Peter Chamberlin, Geoffry Powell and Christoph Bon of Chamberlin, Powell and Bon in the Brutalist style, has a complex multi-level layout with numerous entrances. Lines painted on the ground help would-be audience members avoid getting lost on the walkways of the Barbican Estate, within which the centre is located, on the way to it. The Barbican Centre's design – a concrete ziggurat – has always been controversial and divides opinion. It was…
Visiting
The Barbican Centre features in Michael Paraskos's novel In Search of Sixpence as the home of the lead character, Geroud, and also a bar called "The Gin Bar" loosely based on the Gin Joint bar at the Barbican Centre.
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.5202, -0.0950
- District
- City of London
- Parish
- City of London, unparished area
- Postcode
- EC2Y 8DR
- Parliamentary constituency
- Cities of London and Westminster
- Established
- 1982
- Nearest railway station
- Barbican — 0.3 km
- Opening
- Mo-We,Sa-Su 10:00-18:00; Th-Fr 10:00-20:00
- Official site
- www.barbican.org.uk
Sources
- wikidata: Q653858 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Barbican Centre (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Barbican-arts-centre-large.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Barbican Centre?
- Barbican Centre is in London, United Kingdom (postcode EC2Y 8DR), in the parish of City of London, unparished area.
- When was Barbican Centre built?
- Built or established in 1982. Designed by Chamberlin, Powell and Bon.
- Who owns Barbican Centre?
- Barbican Centre is owned by City of London Corporation.
- Is Barbican Centre a listed building?
- Barbican Centre is officially recognised as Grade II listed building listed.
- How do I get to Barbican Centre?
- The nearest railway station is Barbican, about 0.3 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode EC2Y 8DR.