Barbican Centre

Barbican Centre

Address	Silk Street London, EC2 United Kingdom
Coordinates	51°31′13″N 0°05′42″W / 51.5202°N 0.0950°W / 51.5202; -0.0950
Public transit	Barbican Farringdon Moorgate
Owner	City of London Corporation
Designation	Grade II
Type	performing arts centre
Capacity	Barbican Hall: 1,943 Barbican Theatre: 1,156 The Pit: 200
Construction
Opened	1982; 42 years ago (1982)
Architect	Chamberlin, Powell and Bon
Website
barbican.org.uk

The Barbican Centre is a performing arts centre in the Barbican Estate of the City of London, England, and the largest of its kind in Europe.^[1] 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 Barbican Centre is a member of the Global Cultural Districts Network.

The London Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Symphony Orchestra are based in the centre's Concert Hall. In 2013, it once again became the London-based venue of the Royal Shakespeare Company following the company's departure in 2001.^[2]

The Barbican Centre is owned, funded, and managed by the City of London Corporation. It was built as the City's gift to the nation at a cost of £161 million (equivalent to £480 million in 2014) and was officially opened to the public by Queen Elizabeth II on 3 March 1982. The Barbican Centre is also known for its brutalist architecture.^[3]