Barbican Centre Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Barbican Centre
Construction

Address	Silk Street London, EC2 United Kingdom
Coordinates	51°31′13″N 0°05′42″W / 51.5202°N 0.0950°W / 51.5202; -0.0950
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
Opened	1982; 43 years ago (1982)
Architect	Chamberlin, Powell and Bon

The Barbican Centre is a huge and famous place in London, England. It's the biggest arts centre of its kind in Europe! Here, you can enjoy all sorts of performances, like classical music concerts, modern music, theatre shows, and movies. It also has cool art exhibitions.

The Barbican Centre is home to the London Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. These famous orchestras play their music in the centre's main concert hall. The Royal Shakespeare Company, a well-known theatre group, also performs here.

The Barbican Centre is owned and run by the City of London Corporation. It was a special gift from the City to the country. Queen Elizabeth II officially opened it on 3 March 1982. The building is also famous for its unique style, called brutalist architecture.

What You Can See and Do
History and Design of the Barbican
London Australian Film Festival
Images for kids
Nearby Railway Stations
See also

What You Can See and Do

The Barbican Centre has many different spaces for performances and activities. It's a busy place with lots to explore!

Performance Spaces

Barbican Hall: This is the main concert hall. It can hold 1,943 people. It's where the London Symphony Orchestra and BBC Symphony Orchestra play.
Barbican Theatre: This theatre can seat 1,156 people. It was specially designed for the Royal Shakespeare Company.
The Pit: This is a smaller, flexible theatre space. It can seat about 200 people.

Galleries and Cinemas

Barbican Art Gallery: This gallery shows exciting art exhibitions.
The Curve: This is a free gallery that features new art projects.
Barbican Film: There are three cinema screens here. You can watch movies in comfortable seats.

Other Facilities

Barbican Library: This is a large public library. It has special collections about arts and music. There's even a children's library with free events! You can find old books about London here, some from the 1700s. The music library also has free pianos you can use.
Restaurants: There are three places to eat.
Conference halls: Seven rooms for meetings and events.
Trade exhibition halls: Two large spaces for shows and displays.
There are also other informal spaces where performances sometimes happen.

History and Design of the Barbican

The Barbican Centre

The Barbican Centre took a long time to build. It opened several years after the homes around it were finished. This area was heavily bombed during World War II.

Building Style

The Barbican Centre was designed by architects Chamberlin, Powell and Bon. They used a style called Brutalist architecture. This style often uses lots of concrete and has a strong, blocky look. The Barbican's design is very complex, with many levels and entrances. Sometimes, lines painted on the ground help visitors find their way!

Some people love the Barbican's design, while others don't. In one poll, it was even called "London's ugliest building."

Special Protection

In 2001, the Barbican Centre became a Grade II listed building. This means it's a special building that needs to be protected because of its important architecture. The same architects who designed the centre also designed the homes around it, known as the Barbican Estate.

Improvements Over Time

Over the years, the Barbican Centre has had some updates. In the mid-1990s, some decorative features were added. Later, in 2005–2006, bigger changes were made. Architects improved how people move around the building and added clear signs. They also created a new bridge inside.

Outside, a main feature is the lake and its terrace. The theatre's tall section has glass around it, creating a beautiful high-level conservatory filled with plants.

Sound in the Hall

The sound in the Barbican Hall has been discussed a lot. Some people think it sounds warm and good for music. Others felt it was a bit too "dry" for big orchestras. Over time, improvements were made to make the sound even better.

Royal Shakespeare Company's Home

The Barbican Theatre was built to be the London home for the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). After some time away, the RSC returned to the Barbican Centre in 2013. They now perform many of William Shakespeare's famous plays here.

London Australian Film Festival

The London Australian Film Festival used to be held at the Barbican Theatre from 1994 to 2011. This festival showed movies from Australia. Now, a different festival with the same name is held at other cinemas in London.