"The Barbican is aptly named. From the Old French barbacane, it historically means a fortified gateway forming the outer line of defence to a city or castle. London's Barbican marks the site of a medieval structure that would have defended an important access point. Its architecture was designed to repel. Some might argue, as they stumble out of Barbican tube station and gaze upwards, not much has changed in the interim."
"The use of the word barbican was in decline in this country until the opening in 1982 of the Barbican Arts Centre. Taking 20 years to build, it completed the modernist megastructure of the Barbican Estate, grafted on to a huge tract of land devastated by wartime bombing. The aim was to bring life back to the City through swish new housing, energised by the presence of culture."
"The minotaur is also ageing. Just like people, buildings also physically decay and get into bad habits, necessitating the odd hip replacement or hair transplant. Approval has now been granted by the City of London Corporation for a multi-million-pound programme to upgrade and transform the Barbican, in time for the 50th anniversary of its opening in 2032. From June 2028, it will close its doors for a year to undergo the most ambitious makeover in its history."
The Barbican derives its name from Old French barbacane, meaning a fortified gateway and marks the site of a medieval defensive access point. The postwar Barbican Estate and Arts Centre completed a modernist megastructure in 1982 after a 20-year build, replacing wartime-bombed tracts and aiming to revive the City with stylish housing energised by culture. The arts centre sits at the heart of a concrete labyrinth and remains difficult to locate, with visitors following a famous yellow Ariadne's thread. The Grade II-listed complex suffers leaks, crumbling fabric, outdated services and accessibility problems. A City of London Corporation-approved multi-million-pound upgrade will close the centre for a year from June 2028 ahead of its fiftieth anniversary in 2032.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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