Barbican

The Barbican Centre | EC2Y 8DS

Hidden in the heart of London City, the Barbican Centre is home to apartments, art exhibitions, shops, a Library, Museum, conservatory, church, movie theatre and musical performance space. 

In fact, it's the largest performing arts space of its kind in Europe (London's still in Europe, right?).

Opened in March 1982, this ugly-pretty brutalist 35 year old has been forgotten by younger Londoners. Let me refresh your memory...

Barbican Conservatory

It has its own Tube Station (Barbican) but you can also use Moorgate if you're coming on the Northern Line. It may appear hard to find a way in, as the terraces walls have a sci-fi time capsule feel to them. There's an entrance for the exhibitions and Library etc on Silk Street, or if you feel like going the scenic way, the entrance by the Museum of London will take you over the elevated path which runs around the interior of the complex, alternating between modern towers, ponds, medieval church and ancient bits of old London wall. It is easy to get lost or distracted en route, so keep one eye on the colour coded signs.

the view from the street

 Silk Street entrance

                                                                            St Giles Church

The best way to describe the atmosphere is contradictory; old and new, concrete and plants, light and shade, colour and monochrome, beautiful and ugly, earthly and alien. John Honer, the same architect who worked on the Barbican estate, and nearby Golden Lane estate, also designed the British Library building at St Pancras. While that truly ugly red brick piece of square-lined depression is an embarrassment to its surroundings, the barbican has a different feel. Now Grade II listed, the total encompassing nature of this site, the comparably ugly surrounding office buildings, and the addition of plants and running water, make the Barbican feel like a blissful escape from reality.

  

private flats, waterfall and leafy pond 

 waterfall and plant growth add to the dystopian beauty

                           cabbage trees and red brick

                                              one of three onsite restaurants 

                            contrast, Barbican, London

And just when you thought it couldn't get any better or feel anymore like the set of Lost, the Conservatory puts on a show. Only open on Sundays (i.e. it's open right now, I'll see you there) the conservatory is made up of one bigger tropical room where you can have afternoon tea type booze and fodder, some fun staircases, and a desert room for all those cactus junkies out there. As a proud plant mum, my only complaint with this place is that it's not 10x bigger and at my house.

avocado plant telling jokes 

                                  tropical paradise in London

                                    Barbican Conservatory, London

Thank you for reading, do visit, and if you get a chance, make sure it's on a Sunday. I haven't even touched on the arthouse movie theatre, live performances or art and music library (one of London's biggest public libraries, complete with two free practice pianos). Pick up a what's on guide when you're there and get yourself to some events.

know your exits

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This article is not sponsored in anyway by the Barbican or any other third party. All photos, text and opinions are my own.

peace, x G x