Barbican Centre
Barbican Lakeside on a summer evening | |
| Address | Silk Street London, EC2 United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 51°31′13″N 0°05′42″W / 51.5202°N 0.0950°W |
| Public transit | Barbican Farringdon Moorgate |
| Owner | City of London Corporation |
| Designation | Grade II |
| Type | performing arts centre |
| Capacity | Barbican Hall: 1,943 Barbican Theatre: 1,156 The Pit: 200 Barbican Film Cinema 1: 288 Cinema 2: 156 Cinema 3: 156 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1982 |
| Architect | Chamberlin, Powell and Bon |
| Website | |
| barbican | |
The Barbican Centre is a performing arts centre in the Barbican Estate of the City of London, England, and the largest of its kind in Europe. 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.
The Barbican Centre is owned, funded, and managed by the City of London Corporation. It was built as the City's gift to the nation at a cost of UK£161 million (equivalent to £718 million in 2023), 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.