– The Barbican Renewal Project –
Damian attended a dinner at the Barbican Centre in London on Monday, June 1, 2026. The evening’s event was hosted by the non-profit organization Horizons and centered on the restoration of the Barbican, a project estimated at £451 million.
The Barbican Centre is a performing arts centre in the Barbican Estate. The Centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhibitions. It also houses a library, three restaurants, and a conservatory. The London Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Symphony Orchestra are based in the centre’s Concert Hall.
As we know, Damian is a former student of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the Barbican Centre offers Guildhall short courses through their Creative Music Training and other Summer Schools, covering jazz, music theory, drama, theatre appreciation, production arts, writing, and much more.
The Barbican is a Grade II listed Brutalist icon, recognized as one of the UK’s architectural treasures. Over the past four decades the Barbican Centre buildings have deteriorated significantly. Through this renewal, building systems and aging materials will be upgraded, restored and revitalized, while underused areas of the site will be unlocked, releasing their full potential for public, civic and creative use for future generations.
The City contribution represents around 80% of the amount needed for the full five-year plan, and will support critical repairs and upgrades. A major fundraising campaign will enable complete restoration and refurbishment of key public spaces including the unique brutalist foyers, lakeside terrace, and conservatory – the largest glasshouse in central London. Funding raised will open up these celebrated spaces to all, deliver major new creative community and learning activities, and make significant sustainability improvements to ensure net-zero commitments are met.
Subject to planning permission, construction will begin in 2027 with this first phase complete in 2030, ahead of the Barbican’s 50th anniversary.
For more information, visit Barbican.org.