The Barbican Centre (1979-11-30/1979-11-30) by Peter BloomfieldBarbican Centre
1. There's a time capsule in the foundations of the Barbican
We know because one of the Engineers who worked on the building, Jack Waller, filmed it being cemented in
Barbican Time Capsule by Jack WallerBarbican Centre
We were hoping to get it out for our 40th birthday
But it seem that it was buried too deep for that!
Watch the Barbican time capsule being buried
The Barbican Centre (1979-11-21/1979-11-21) by Peter BloomfieldBarbican Centre
2. There were 18 months of strikes on the Barbican site
'The Battle of the Barbican' was a series of strikes over pay and conditions on the building site.
The Barbican Centre (1979-11-09/1979-11-09) by Peter BloomfieldBarbican Centre
Conditions on building sites were not what we'd expect today
Some workers complained of having to walk all the way to St. Paul's Cathedral to use the toilet
Thomas More House: Sales Brochure - Page 1/12 by Corporation of London and Barbican Estate OfficeBarbican Centre
3. The Barbican is full of Gardens
Some of them are only open to residents of the Estate
Beech Gardens, Barbican by James DeavinBarbican Centre
But lots of them are open to anyone
and we're planting more and more all the time!
Filling Station With Car Wash (1974) by B.P Marketing LtdBarbican Centre
4. Early plans of the Barbican show a petrol station
It would have been along the Beech Street tunnel
Blocks XVIII & XVII From Golden Lane Looking South (1963) by Corporation of LondonBarbican Centre
The original plans had thousands of parking spaces for cars
Things have changed: there have been recent experiments with making Beech Street pedestrian-only.
Barbican Conservatory by Max ColsonBarbican Centre
5. The Barbican has its own Conservatory
It's the biggest in London after Kew Gardens
The Barbican Centre (1980-01-09/1980-01-09) by Peter BloomfieldBarbican Centre
...but its original purpose was to hide part of our Theatre!
It hides the fly tower -- the tall building which holds scenery to be dropped down on the stage of the Theatre below.
The Barbican Centre (1979-12-17/1979-12-17) by Peter BloomfieldBarbican Centre
6. The Barbican's famous concrete surface was shaped by hand
The technique, known as 'bush-hammering' was carried out by a small group of workers.
The Barbican Centre (1979-11-29/1979-11-29) by Peter BloomfieldBarbican Centre
It was hard, dangerous work
The dust could cause lung diseases, and the constant vibration lead to workers losing the feeling in their hands.
Speed House: Sales Brochure - Page 1/6 by Corporation of London and Barbican Estate OfficeBarbican Centre
7. Early plans for the Barbican included a Pyramid
It was going to be on our Lakeside -- the area of water, gardens and seating between the Arts Centre and the Church.
Barbican Conservatory by Max ColsonBarbican Centre
There are traces of the idea in our conservatory
Though it was never built, you can see aspects of the idea in our conservatory -- the glass, the angles, and the greenery inside.
Barbican Redevelopment General Layout Roof Plan (1966) by Chamberlin, Powell & BonBarbican Centre
Exploring the Barbican's history
Want to learn more about the Barbican and how it was created?
Read more here
