The Barbican Centre, which plays home to three gallery spaces in London, will close for a year starting in June 2028 for an extensive renovation marked by what a press release describes as “a major investment that will secure the future of the internationally renowned creative powerhouse for the next 50 years.”
The restoration of existing and new infrastructure will further enable “creative programming, learning, and community engagement—reaffirming the Barbican’s role as a platform for artists, educators, and the public to debate, collaborate, and drive social change.”
The institution’s sites for exhibitions—the Barbican Art Gallery, the Curve, and the Level 2 gallery—will count among the spaces being restored as part of a five-year “Barbican Renewal Programme.” The City of London Corporation has contributed £191 million (around $255.8 million), which represents 80 percent of what The Art Newspaper cites as a £240 million ($321.3 million). The aim is for the remainder to be covered by a fundraising campaign.
“The City of London Corporation has approved a concentrated period of works which will mean that the majority of our spaces will be under construction and not accessible for roughly one year, between the end of June 2028 and the end of June 2029,” a Barbican spokesperson told TAN. “This approach ensures that Renewal will be delivered safely, on time and on budget.”
Asked if programs are planned for different venues during the close, the spokesperson said, “Now we have the green light on the delivery plan for the Renewal program, we’re looking at how we collaborate with partners differently and go beyond our walls, across art forms, during construction and beyond.”
The Barbican Centre is currently the home of exhibitions including “Dirty Looks: Desire and Decay in Fashion,” in the Barbican Art Gallery; “Lucy Raven: Rounds,” in the Curve; and “Giacometti: Encounters,” a series of shows pairing contemporary sculpture (by Mona Hatoum, in the current round) with work by Alberto Giacometti, in the Level 2 gallery.
