
Everybody has an opinion on the Barbican Centre. Now's your chance to air it.
It's one of London's most important arts venues, but the Barbican Centre is starting to get a little creaky round the edges. Now, in a £191 million project, the centre plans to upgrade its foyer, lakeside area and conservatory and is seeking input from anyone who uses it.
The Grade-II-listed behemoth puts on hundreds of events annually and is understandably showing signs of age after 43 years. It will soon embark on a plan that will see the building "restored, revitalized and relevant for future generations".
How best to do this is still under consideration, and you can share your views. To do so, either take a look at the plans online (and feed back by Monday 17 February), or visit the in-person exhibition in the Centre’s Level G Studio, from Saturday 1 February.

The renewal will be significant, yet appear low-key. This is a listed building, and you can't simply knock down walls or build new annexes. No major structural works are planned. It's more a "let's make best use of what we've got" initiative. Here are a few highlights:
Foyers: Decluttering; revamping underused spaces; improved lighting; upgrades to doors and lifts; more desks for freelancers cadging the free wi-fi (we added that last one ourselves).
Lakeside: Repaving; rework the fountains to provide passive cooling in summer months; new plants to boost biodiversity; a dedicated paddling area for toddlers (we added that request, too).
Conservatory: "architectural planting will provide a sense of theatre"; better accessibility and opening hours; better signage so we can bloomin' well find the way in (another addition by us, but surely requested by every visitor).
The revamp is led by architects Allies and Morrison and Asif Khan Studio, and engineers Buro Happold. The results will be announced in May 2025, and works will begin in 2027. View the plans in more detail here.