Welcome to the Barbican Projects Hub Website

The City of London Corporation (the City Corporation) will be undertaking essential refurbishment and improvement works within the Barbican over the next few years.

The Barbican Projects Hub has been formed with the aim of engaging, listening and keeping you informed of projects including the Barbican Podium Phase Two (above Beech Street).

On this website you can find out more information about the project and keep updated of all the latest news. 

Scroll down and explore our pages to find out more

Barbican Podium Phase 2: Update

Spring 2024

Since Planning and Listed Building Consent was granted in July 2023, detailed design work and surveys have been ongoing and will need completing before any works to the podium can take place. 

Our current indicative timeline is:

  • Completion of stage 4 design - July 2024

  • Procurement of main contractor - Summer 2024 - Early 2025

  • Estimated start on site - Summer 2025

  • Estimated completion - End of 2027

  • The design will be compliant with the City of London’s Climate Action Strategy and Bio-Diversity Plan with an increase to greening in the region of 75%.

  • The scheme will include new Public Artwork installations. Future City are the appointed Artwork consultant on behalf of the City Corporation and an Artwork Steering Group has been set up. 

  • Regular meetings are taking place with the Barbican Renewal Projects team, to share information on both projects as they move forward.

  • One of the planning conditions is to develop a Barbican-wide wayfinding strategy, in consultation with other stakeholders that may be adopted by future projects. A consultation group of identified stakeholders has been set up and the first meeting has taken place.

LATEST NEWS

Soil survey visits

29 - 31 May 2024

Surveyors from Socotech will be visiting the Barbican Podium to undertaking sampling work from Wednesday 29 – Friday 31 May.

The work undertaken will consist of taking soil samples from the soft landscaping beds on the podium for testing.

Please contact us if you have any queries.

Barbican Estate Wayfinding Survey

May 2024

As part of the Barbican Podium Project, we are looking at ways to improve the wayfinding and signage across The Barbican Estate. The AtkinsRéalis Wayfinding team are undertaking a survey as part of their research into walking habits and navigation within the Barbican Estate.

We would really appreciate your time in providing your feedback on current wayfinding across The Barbican Estate as well as any ideas for the future.

Please click on the button below to complete the survey. Thank you.

Study Tour on Podium

Thursday April 18 2024

A Study tour arranged by New London Architecture (NLA) will take place on the podium on the morning of Thursday 18 April from 9am to 10am. There will be around 25 people on the tour, which will take place around the phase two area, providing attendees with an insight into the approved landscape proposals, led by Neil Manthorpe.  

Please contact us if you have any queries.

Bat Survey Visits

August – September 2023

Surveyors from Atkins’ Ecology team will be visiting the Barbican Podium on the evenings of Monday 14 August (7.30pm–10.30pm) and Thursday 14 September (6.30pm-9.30pm) to carry out Bat Surveys.

These site visits will be non-intrusive, however you may see surveyors by the yellow link building wearing hi-vis vests and using video cameras and infra-red lighting.

Please contact us if you have any queries.

Planning Applications Update: Approval granted

27 June 2023

We are delighted to announce that our applications for planning permission and listed building consent were approved by the City of London Planning Applications Sub Committee on Tuesday 27 June 2023.

A link to a recording of the Planning Applications Sub Committee can be found here:

Your insights and feedback have been extremely valuable to us during the consultation process, and we look forward to continuing to work with the local community as we move forward to deliver the project.

We will publish further updates, including an indicative timeline for the works, in due course.

If you have any queries on the above, please contact us via info@barbicanprojects.co.uk

““We are delighted that this important exemplar scheme for the City of London has been approved. The unique opportunity to transform the Grade II* Registered Park and Garden Barbican Podium will deliver a multitude of social and environmental benefits for residents and visitors alike. The scheme has embedded a climate resilient and urban greening approach within the heart of the City of London and the iconic Barbican Estate.

The unanimous decision to approve means we can now move forward to deliver the designs ensuring the Barbican remains a thriving place for people and nature to live, visit and for future generations to come.”
”
— Neil Manthorpe, associate design director at Atkins, the landscape architect for the project

Electrical Infrastructure Survey

March 2023

FM Conway have been instructed by the City Corporation to undertake a site survey to investigate, trace and map the electrical infrastructure services relating to the lighting connections, control strategy and electrical services contained within the Barbican Podium Phase 2 area.

FM Conway personnel with be present on site with access equipment, alloy scaffold tower, step ladders and other equipment to perform the survey. The work is considered to take approximately 3 to 4 weeks with a start date of 01/03/2023.

Please contact us if you have any queries.

Planning Applications Update

Validation of Applications for Planning Permission and Listed Building Consent (22/01178/FULL & 22/01179/LBC)

January 2023

Our applications for Planning permission and Listed Building Consent have now been validated by the City of London Planning Department and the final proposals are available to view online.   

Your insights and feedback have been extremely valuable to us during the consultation process and we look forward to continuing to work with the local community as we move forward. 

The planning application and all supporting documents can be viewed on City of London’s online planning register by clicking the button below where you can submit your feedback on the proposals. 

Please search using the application reference numbers: 22/01178/FULL and 22/01179/LBC.

Installation of Sensors on the Podium

February 2023

As first mentioned in June 2022, as part of the ongoing improvement works on the Barbican Podium, and supporting the City of London Climate Change Strategy, Atkins are undertaking an environmental monitoring project to collect data on Air Temperature, Humidity and Wind Speed & Direction to provide an understanding of the existing environmental conditions on the podium.

This week we have installed a solar shield and will be installing four more over the coming weeks across the podium.

We will also be installing two additional temporary wind sensors similar to those already in situ.

There will be no noisy works during the installation of these sensors.

Please contact us if you have any queries.

Barbican Podium Temporary Works

November 2022

In order to obtain a warranty for the podium waterproofing works, trial holes are required to check the build-up and current state of the waterproofing membrane.    Investigations will be taking place across the podium which will cause intermittent noise disruption.  These are anticipated to start during the week commencing Monday 7 November and take around 4 weeks.       

A team from Volker Laser will be drilling and sampling various locations on the podium.  The locations involved for the works can be viewed on the plan linked here:   

We will share further information of the scheduling on the website when it is available but please note that intermittent noisy drilling will only take place between 10-4pm.

For further information please email info@barbicanpodiumprojects.co.uk or call 0800 772 0475.

Installation of Wind sensors on the Podium

October 2022

During the week commencing 10 October, new wind sensors approximately 2 metres in height, will be installed on the podium. These will be bigger than the previous sensors installed (see June 2022 update below) and there will also be additional small sensors installed.  

There will be no noisy works during the installation of the sensors.

Please contact us if you have any queries.

Lauderdale Place Temporary Works

28 - 30 September 2022

In order to obtain a warranty for the podium waterproofing works, trial holes are required to check the build-up and current state of the waterproofing membrane.  Investigations will be taking place on Lauderdale Place for three days from Wednesday 28th to Friday 30th September which will cause intermittent loud noise.     

A team from Socotec UK will be drilling and sampling various locations on the podium.  The locations involved for next week’s works can be viewed on the plan in blue and red.  The team will be at each place marked on the map for around 1- 1 ½ hours, but the noisy drilling will last around 15 minutes at each location and will only take place between 10am-4pm. 

For further information please email info@barbicanpodiumprojects.co.uk or call 0800 772 0475.

September Webinar and Feedback Summary

September 2022

You can download our latest consultation summary here, which includes our responses to questions asked at our August and September webinars.

Thank you for those who attended and took part in our webinars.

August update webinar - presentation and recording now available

19 August 2022

Thank you for those who attended and took part in our webinar. If you weren’t able to attend, you can view the presentation, the fly-through video and a recording of the whole webinar below.

Watch our fly-through here:-

Watch a recording of the webinar here:-

3D Laser surveys of the Barbican Podium

12 August 2022

A point cloud survey will be taking place across phase 2 of the Barbican podium on the week commencing Monday 22 August for a period of 5 days. This includes the podium areas around Ben Jonson House, Breton House, Frobisher Crescent, Shakespeare Tower and Cromwell tower. The surveyors will be using equipment to take measurements and understand in further detail the interfaces at thresholds. The works will not be intrusive and require no demolition works.

Please contact us if there are any queries.

June 2022 - Update

Temporary Installation of Environmental Sensors

Gathering environmental data is essential to improve our understanding of urban climates. This information can be used to inform planners and developers and understand the impact of green infrastructure and different materials in public spaces.

As part of the ongoing improvement works on the Barbican Podium, and supporting the City of London Climate Change Strategy, Atkins are undertaking an environmental monitoring project to collect data on Air Temperature, Humidity and Wind Speed & Direction to provide an understanding of the existing environmental conditions on the podium.

The starting date of the data collection is 10 June 2022, and the collection will continue over a period of 12 months. Data will be collected using small, lightweight sensors located discretely across the Barbican Podium (see map above).

The data collected will be a vital element of developing evidence-based approaches and evaluating the success of public realm and landscaping interventions for pedestrian comfort and environmental performance.

Please contact us if there are any queries.

Spring 2022 - Update

23 March 2022

Thank you to all who have given us feedback on the proposals for the Barbican Podium Phase Two Project to date.  We are hoping to put in an application for planning permission and listed building consent in September 2022.  

Prior to that our revised plans will be uploaded to this website and your comments can then be made to the planning department.  

Extension of Public Engagement Deadline

5 January 2022

We have extended the deadline for City residents, workers and visitors to comment on the second phase of essential maintenance works on the Barbican podium. 

The public engagement now closes on 2 February 2022.

See press release here.

October Newsletter and Webinar

You can download our latest newsletter here, which includes our response to our recent consultation on the Podium works and invites you to participate in our upcoming webinar.

Thank you for those who attended and took part in our webinar. If you weren’t able to, view the recording and the presentation below.

 

Recording of July Webinar Now Available

Thank you to everyone who attended our webinar on Tuesday 20 July. Your feedback and questions are greatly valued.

For those who were unable to make it or wish to see a replay, please find our webinar recording below. If you wish to view the presentations from Nigel and Neil, please click here.

Stage 1 Consultation Summary Barbican Podium Phase 2

Barbican Newsletter: June 2021 Edition 1

Mechanical and Electrical Remediation Work at the Exhibition Halls to commence

25 June 2021

The project at the Exhibition Halls is set to take place from Monday 12 July 2021, until January 2022. Work will take place Monday – Friday, between 8am and 6pm.

Most work will be contained to the Exhibition Halls, although the project will include accessing a water valve in the car park underneath. Deliveries will come in through Exhibition Hall 2, except for larger loads, which will come via Golden Lane. The project will involve the offloading of a new transformer on the cul-de-sac section of Golden Lane beyond the car park entrance. This section of road will be partially closed over two days whilst the transformer is installed.  

Some noise may be heard due to work that involves cutting out sections of piping. However, we will ensure mitigation measures are in place to lessen any potential disruption. 

Survey occurring from Tuesday 8 June at the podium above Beech Street

4 June 2021

We would like to inform you that further survey work will be undertaken at the podium from Tuesday 8 June, and will take place for approximately 10 days, Monday to Friday, between 09:00 and 17:00.  

It is an underground utility survey, which will occur in the vicinity of Ben Jonson House, Frobisher Crescent, Breton and Cromwell High Walk.

As this is a non-intrusive survey, we don’t expect this to generate any noise or dust. The survey will involve lifting manholes, and barriers will be in place to ensure public safety.

If you have any questions, you can get in touch with us by emailing info@barbicanprojects.co.uk. 

About the Project: Barbican Podium Phase Two

The City Corporation will be undertaking waterproofing and drainage refurbishment on the podium, covering the public realm in the vicinity of Ben Jonson Place, Breton and Cromwell High Walk.

Replacing the existing waterproofing membrane is a priority as the existing membrane has deteriorated and is no longer able to fully protect the concrete structure or the occupied spaces below it from water ingress. Improvement work will also be undertaken to the existing drainage infrastructure.

This project is vital. Leaks are already occurring due to this issue and will further escalate until addressed.

To facilitate the project, existing soft and hard landscaping will be removed. This affords us an opportunity improve and extend soft landscaped areas on the podium.

Our landscaping strategy will be in keeping with the first phase of the podium waterproofing project, which was undertaken in 2015 in Beech Gardens.

The project will require a listed building consent and requires planning permission.

 

Why Is This Project Needed?

This project is needed, as the existing waterproofing membrane at the podium has deteriorated and can no longer fully protect the concrete structure or spaces below the podium from water ingress.

Leaks are already occurring due to this issue and will further escalate until addressed.

The completed project will ensure that internal areas in and around the podium are protected from water ingress.

Our project will result in improved water management. This means water can be discharged efficiently to the internal drainage system.

On this page you can explore our vision for this project. Proposals are subject to planning and listed building consent.

Why+One.png
 

On This Map We Highlight:

  • Phase One - Purple

  • Phase Two - Red.

Phase Two is a natural evolution from the award-winning Phase One, which was completed in 2015.

You can find out more about Phase One by scrolling further below.

 
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An Opportunity To Improve The Podium

It is not possible to replace the waterproof membrane without removing the existing hard and soft landscaping. The landscaping will need to be reinstated, which we see as an opportunity to improve the podium. 

The original vision of the Barbican drew on inspiration from London’s garden squares. We have an opportunity to develop this vision at the podium by expanding soft landscaping and improving the overall design.

 
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Key Aims:

  • Provide a waterproof podium

  • Provide an accessible and inclusive place for people

  • To enhance the character and amenity value of the podium

  • Develop the original aspirations of the Chamberlin Powel and Bon vision respecting the rich heritage of the Barbican

  • To work towards the principles of the Climate Action Strategy and future proof the Barbican

  • To improve water management, improve the microclimate and increase biodiversity.

 
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Yellow Link Building

We are removing the yellow link building located between Ben Jonson House and Frobisher Crescent. This is necessary to effectively undertake waterproofing and drainage work at the podium.

Its removal will provide an opportunity to improve access, legibility and circulation across the podium and to introduce additional areas of greening. 

As part of our commitment to sustainability, we are committed to re-using, repurposing and recycling all removed materials throughout the podium where possible, this includes the yellow link building.

 
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Emerging Aspirations

Our landscaping plans will take inspiration from the emerging City of London Biodiversity Plan along with Culture Mile and Climate Action Plan Strategies. We believe our completed project can improve people’s wellbeing whilst helping the Barbican combat climate change.

 
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Award-Winning Work Phase One

The landscaping design will be a continuation of Phase One, which encompassed Beech Gardens. The landscaping was designed by the renowned Nigel Dunnett of Sheffield University.

In 2018, Nigel was recognised for his work at Phase One. He won the Landscape Institute Award for Planting Design, Public Horticulture and Strategic Ecology, and the Landscape Institute Fellows Prize for Most Outstanding Project.

Nigel is passionate about the Barbican Estate. You can find out more about Phase One by visiting his website: www.nigeldunnett.com

Credit: Greenlee Meadows

Project Timescales

Refurbishment work on the podium is not immediate. We currently anticipate this to commence in 2025. Once commenced, work will be staged in different sections throughout the Phase Two area to minimise disruption.

A comprehensive Construction Management Plan will be produced once a contractor has been confirmed. Once a contractor has been appointed, further engagement with residents and occupants will occur.

Once the project does commence, it is our intention to provide updates and meet regularly with our neighbours, to ensure the surrounding community is kept fully informed.

Our Project Team for Phase 2

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Frequently Asked Questions

Will the projects be phased or take place at the same time?

  • The Exhibition Halls Mechanical and Electrical remediation work commenced in July 2021, with completion in early 2022.

  • The Podium Project is now expected to commence in 2025, completion is expected in 2027.

Should the anticipated timeframes change, we will inform you.

How will you be communicating to us during the work?

We have appointed Comm Comm UK, a specialist communications and engagement team, who will be coordinating communications around both projects.

Project updates will be shared via this website, newsletters, notices and regular email updates once construction commences.

Sign up via the Subscribe box further below.

Are you in contact with teams working on other projects across the Barbican?

We are in contact with other teams undertaking projects in proximity to the Barbican. Our aim is to ensure that communications and work is coordinated for the benefit of the surrounding community.

Who is my point of contact for these projects?

You can get in touch by emailing info@barbicanprojects.co.uk or by calling our freephone number 0800 772 0475.

Contact Us

Email: info@barbicanprojects.co.uk

Freephone: 0800 772 0475

Freepost: COMM COMM UK

@CityofLondon

If you require the information on this website in a different format, for example, translations, larger format or in Braille, please contact the project team.