Barbican Renewal programme appoints construction management specialist
The team behind the Barbican Renewal programme has appointed a specialist construction management firm to help deliver the major restoration and upgrade of one of London’s best-known cultural landmarks.
The programme is intended to restore and revitalise the Barbican Centre, improve accessibility and sustainability, and help prepare the venue for the next 50 years.
The Barbican presents a particularly complex construction challenge. The post-war landmark sits within a residential community, attracts more than 1.5 million visitors each year and includes performance venues, public spaces, a lakeside terrace, Brutalist foyers and central London’s largest conservatory.
The building is also categorised as a higher-risk building under the Building Safety Act, adding further safety and regulatory considerations to the programme.
Much of the work will need to be planned around the Barbican’s continuing programme of performances, exhibitions and events, with residents, visitors, performers and staff all affected by activity across the site.
Blue Sky Building has been selected to support delivery of the works, with its role expected to include coordinating construction activity within the occupied cultural complex.
The company has previously worked on projects involving the National Gallery, the British Museum, Selfridges and United Kingdom House, including refurbishment and infrastructure programmes carried out while buildings remained operational.
Its previous cultural-sector work includes the National Gallery’s NG200 transformation programme and the British Museum’s £120 million Energy Centre Programme.
The Barbican project also reflects the wider challenge facing major cultural and heritage buildings, where upgrades to ageing infrastructure, environmental performance and building safety increasingly have to be carried out without closing venues for prolonged periods.
Careful phasing of the works will therefore be central to the programme, with construction activity needing to be coordinated around public access, cultural programming and the architectural character of the Barbican estate.
Julian Daniel, Chief Executive Officer at Blue Sky Building, comments:
We have a strong portfolio of projects across the cultural sector, delivering expertise from pre-construction advice through to construction delivery. The Barbican Renewal Programme represents a seminal moment in Blue Sky Building’s evolution, bringing together the very best of our experience, capability, and collaborative approach to support this prestigious and ambitious programme of works.
Dr Philippa Simpson, Chief Operating Officer at the Barbican Centre, adds:
We are building the future of this extraordinary place so we can welcome new audiences and new experiences for decades to come. Blue Sky Building brings valuable experience delivering complex projects in live cultural environments, so is a perfect fit, and we’re thrilled to have them on board.
As the programme progresses, the construction team will work alongside project partners and stakeholders to coordinate the renewal while the Barbican continues operating as a major cultural venue in the City of London.