An Introduction to the Barbican and our Archive
Learn about our collaboration with Google Arts and Culture
The Barbican Centre (1980-02-16/1980-02-16) by Peter Bloomfield Barbican Centre
Introducing the Barbican
The Barbican is a Grade-II listed Arts Centre and residential Estate in the City of London.
Barbican Lakeside Terrace by Max Colson Barbican Centre
Begun in 1962 and completed in 1982, it is now a global icon of Brutalist architecture.
Photographic Contact Sheet of Arts Centre Interiors and Exteriors. (1979) by Peter Bloomfield Barbican Centre
Our Archive tells the story of the Barbican through our collection of architectural plans, photographs, graphic design, drawings, programming ephemera and objects.
Digitising the Barbican Archive (2022) Barbican Centre
Our partnership with Google Arts and Culture has involved digitising
over 3,500 images of objects and documents from our Archive,
Digitising the Barbican Archive (2022) Barbican Centre
and creating 60 stories bringing them to life.
Aerial Photographs of the Barbican. (1979) by Peter Bloomfield Barbican Centre
The stories covered include the origins of the Barbican’s design, what has happened in the buildings and how they got built.
Blocks XIV & XV South Elevation (1963) by Corporation of London Barbican Centre
Two important parts of the Archive collection are the original plans for the Barbican
Photograph of Installed Directional Signs: Barbican Hall, Theatre by Ken Briggs & Associates Barbican Centre
and records showing the Barbican's first visual identity .
General Information: Colour Reference: 2/8.2 (1980) by Ken Briggs & Associates Barbican Centre
Along with later reimaginings
of the Barbican, with new signs, new logos and new ideas about what should happen here.
Andrewes House: Sales Brochure - Page 1/12 by Corporation of London and Barbican Estate Office Barbican Centre
We have also digitised items which show the early history of the Barbican Estate
.
First London Symphony Orchestra Acoustic Test with Ivan Fischer at Barbican Hall. (1980) by Peter Bloomfield Barbican Centre
If you would like to get in touch about the collection, you can email us
at archives@barbican.org.uk
Photographic Contact Sheet of Arts Centre Interiors and Exteriors. (1979) by Peter Bloomfield Barbican Centre
You can browse the collection
or dive into our stories
highlighting themes from our Archive.
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