Official website: http://www.barbican.org.uk
History
from the official website
A Grade II listed building, the Barbican is Europe’s largest multi-arts and conference venue and one of London’s best examples of Brutalist architecture.
It was developed from designs by architects Chamberlin, Powell and Bon as part of a utopian vision to transform an area of London left devastated by bombing during the Second World War.
The Centre took over a decade to build and was opened by The Queen in 1982, who declared it ‘one of the modern wonders of the world’ with the building seen as a landmark in terms of its scale, cohesion and ambition. Its stunning spaces and unique location at the heart of the Barbican Estate have made it an internationally recognised venue, set within an urban landscape acknowledged as one of the most significant architectural achievements of the 20th century.
Venues
Theatre
Style of Room: Raked Auditorium
Total Capacity: 1156
681 Stalls, 195 Circle, 143 Upper circle, 137 Gallery
Stage width: 16.5m
Stage depth: 13.5m
Pros. height: 8m
Grid height: 33.5m
Stage Machinery installed by Halls, specified by Theatre Projects (1979)
The Safety Curtain is a mirrored angular structure in two parts – one section rises from below the stage and the other descends from the roof.
Hall
Style of Room: Raked Auditorium
Total Capacity: 1943
855 Stalls, 767 Circle, 321 Balcony
Selected Past Productions (under construction)
- My Neighbour Totoro (—)
- Anything Goes (2021)
- The Encounter (February / March 2016)
- Les Miserables (September – December 1985)
The Theatres Trust
Barbican Centre, London on the Theatres Trust Database
