A letter from the Barbican
By David Preston
Published in Communications
As you know, we are embarking on the most ambitious development in our history – Barbican Renewal – with the vision to secure Barbican’s role as an iconic creative powerhouse for the next half-century.
This project is about much more than restoration. It is about making the Barbican truly accessible, inclusive, sutaanable and ready for the future, strengthening our ability to deliver extraordinary artistic, economic and civil impact.
The delivery plans for the Barbican Renewal have today officially been approved by the City of London Corporation, and I wanted to share this milestone with you straight away (confidentially) before we announce more broadly at 6pm tonight.
To deliver this scale of transformation, the delivery plan has early works starting in 2027 and the most intensive construction work then consolidated. This means for roughly one year, between end of June 2028 and end of June 2029, the majority of our spaces will be under construction and not accessible. This is our only option for the full scope of works to be achieved safely, on time, and within budget.
Our commitment to delivering creative experiences will continue. Our Beech Street Cinemas will remain open, and we are already considering what a vibrant year of collaboration and programming beyond our concrete walls might look like. For residents, I can confirm that access through the Estate via Frobisher Crescent will be maintained throughout the works.
We are now starting our planning on the details and while we don’t have all the specifics today on construction, we will keep you informed as these plans evolve, ensuring you have the information you need as soon as it is available. We will be holding a special residents meeting next week on Wednesday 17 December 5:30pm – 6:30pm in Frobisher Rooms (Level 4) where Pip Simpson, myself and Rachel Levy (Barbican Library) will share more information on the works and be available for questions.
More information / bookings on this webpage which will go live a bit after 5pm on Thursday 11th December: https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2025/event/community-meeting-update-on-barbican-renewal. We will publish details of this meeting in the Estate Bulletin on Friday 12th December.
The Renewal project will bring wonderful benefits to our audiences, residents, artists and partners, and we are incredibly excited about our ability to now move forward with this project.
Thank you for your belief in Barbican’s future, and for going on the renewal journey with us.
Beau Vigushin (he/him)
Director for Audiences
Barbican Centre
London EC2Y 8DS