The People Who Built the Barbican

See photographs of the Barbican under construction

Photograph of Construction of the Barbican CentreBarbican Centre

The People Who Built the Barbican

This collection of colour photographs from our Archive show the Barbican during construction.

Barbican Construction Workers On SiteBarbican Centre

The photographs were passed along to the Archive and we don't know who is in them or who took them.

Barbican Construction Workers On SiteBarbican Centre

We have now been able to digitise the collection for the first time.

Photograph of Construction of the Barbican CentreBarbican Centre

The photographs are of the construction of the arts centre, which was carried out by Laing.

Photograph of Construction of the Barbican CentreBarbican Centre

You can see the residential Estate in the background had already been finished. The first flats opened in 1969, 12 years before the arts centre was completed.

Barbican Construction Workers On SiteBarbican Centre

Here is a view across the City, presumably taken from the top of the site. You can see the dome of St Paul's in the background.

Barbican Construction Workers On SiteBarbican Centre

The photos capture the people who worked on the Barbican, as well as the building work itself. Scroll through to see a selection:

Barbican Construction Workers On SiteBarbican Centre

Barbican Construction Workers On SiteBarbican Centre

Portrait Photograph During Construction of the Barbican CentreBarbican Centre

Barbican Construction Workers On SiteBarbican Centre

Barbican Construction Workers On SiteBarbican Centre

Photograph of Construction of the Barbican CentreBarbican Centre

Photograph of Construction of the Barbican CentreBarbican Centre

Barbican Construction Workers On SiteBarbican Centre

Barbican Construction Workers On SiteBarbican Centre

Barbican Construction Workers On SiteBarbican Centre

Photograph of Construction of the Barbican CentreBarbican Centre

Contributing to the Archive

Do you recognise someone featured in these photos? Get in touch at archives@barbican.org.uk

Photograph of Construction of the Barbican CentreBarbican Centre

Further research

Our friends at the Bishopsgate Institute Special Collections & Archives hold a collection of oral histories recorded with the people who built the Barbican.

Photograph of Construction of the Barbican CentreBarbican Centre

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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