One of London’s most confusing attractions is getting easier to navigate

The Barbican is a maze. A beautiful brutalist, multi-levelled maze of crisscrossing walkways in the sky – but still a maze. In a way, that’s part of the cultural institution’s charm, always leading visitors to discover surprising corners of the site.

There are, however, a few downsides to the Barbican’s labyrinthine layout. Sometimes you’ll try to meet a friend before a show and find yourself at the opposite side to where you’re meant to be (or worse, in the car park). Now the pioneering arts centre is looking to tackle navigational difficulties with a new ‘wayfinding system’ to help visitors find their way around the brutalist giant.

Assemble and Designers Unit will lead the project, and work with accessibility designers Tactile Studio, to create new signage that will still ‘embrace the delight of the unexpected route or encounter’ but make things a bit simpler. It’s all part of the centre’s Renewal Programme (which you can see snazzy images of here).

Giles Smith, founding partner at Assemble, said: ‘It is a wonderful privilege to be working with such an extraordinary and well-loved institution as the Barbican Centre. We’ve long been fans of the Centre and its architecture and are looking forward to developing a wayfinding system that helps even more people enjoy its many charms.’ 

The new wayfinding scheme will be delivered alongside the first phase of the Renewal programme, over the next few years. 

Chris Hayward, Policy Chairman of the City of London Corporation, said: 'The Barbican Centre is one of the UK’s most iconic cultural destinations, described by Queen Elizabeth II at its opening in 1982 as ‘one of the wonders of the modern world’.

‘To guarantee the Centre’s status for decades to come, we're investing £191 million in its renewal. This funding will ensure the Square Mile remains a vibrant place where people want to live, work, learn and explore.

‘It’s exciting to see the Barbican team push ahead with these transformative changes to boost wayfinding and accessibility.’

Starting in 2027, the Barbican Centre will undergo a £240 million Renewal Programme to make the conservatory and foyer more accessible and revamp the ponds outside while making other improvements. It will mainly be funded by the City of London Corporation and will be finished by 2030.

Discover our guide to the best things to do in the Barbican area.

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