A one-acre courtyard above the Concert Hall will get step-free access, new planting, seating, lighting and event upgrades after nearly 40 years of limited public use. Work is scheduled from 2028 with reopening targeted for 2030.
Planning permission secured to restore the Barbican’s one-acre Sculpture Court and reopen it as an accessible public courtyard.
Upgrades include step-free access, climate-resilient planting, improved lighting, accessible seating, event infrastructure and clearer wayfinding.
Work is planned to start in summer 2028 alongside other Barbican refurbishments, with the Sculpture Court reopening pencilled in for 2030.
Sculpture Court, a roughly one-acre courtyard above the Concert Hall and framed by Frobisher Crescent. The space was intended as a place to experience art and architecture, but limited accessibility, poor seating and deteriorating infrastructure have left it largely unused for nearly four decades.
Planned interventions are focused on access, usability and resilience rather than radical redesign. Confirmed elements include:
The plan emphasises protecting the heritage significance of the Grade II* listed landscape while adapting it for contemporary public use.
Planning permission has been obtained. Physical works are expected to begin in summer 2028, carried out alongside major refurbishments to the Barbican's conservatory, theatre, lakeside terrace and foyers. The Sculpture Court's reopening is pencilled in for 2030, subject to the wider programme and funding.
When complete, the Sculpture Court will offer a step-free public courtyard in a central cultural hub, providing space for daily use, art encounters and events. Restoring a visible, usable outdoor space above the Concert Hall may change how people move through and gather at the Barbican, and fills a long-standing gap in the complex's public realm.
Court back into public use with accessibility, planting, lighting and event upgrades. The work starts in 2028 and aims to reopen the courtyard by 2030 while conserving the listed landscape.
The Barbican Centre has secured planning permission to transform its one-acre Sculpture Court into a new, fully accessible public square that will open in 2030. Located above the Concert Hall, the Court was originally conceived as a space where people could experience art and architecture. However, its limited accessib
The Barbican Centre has secured planning permission to restore and revive its outdoor Sculpture Court, which subject to funding, will see it reopen as a public space in 2030. Read more ›
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