Barbican Centre, London

£240m has been committed for the first phase of refurbishment of the Grade-II listed Barbican Centre in London. This first phase is expected to be completed by 2030 and will form part of a larger project estimated to cost £451m in total.

Project background

The Barbican Renewal project, currently in Phase 1, aims to refurbish the Conservatory, Lakeside and Foyer areas of the centre, along with the catering block. The designs are currently going through public consultation, with detailed design to take place in 2026 and construction planned to start in 2027.

The building, which opened in 1982, has become a cultural and historical landmark and is described as a ‘Brutalist icon’. The refurbishment project aims to preserve the building for future generations after surveys showed it had deteriorated significantly.

The refurbishment includes a programme of sensitive conservation to upgrade aging materials and building systems. It will also ensure the Barbican Centre is truly inclusive and sustainable, improving its facilities for future generations.

MultiCAD were contracted by Tilbury Douglas to provide design work for this project.

Deliverables required

• 3D Point Cloud Scans
• Fully co-ordinated MEP drawings
• BIM

MultiCAD will provide 3D Point Cloud scanning and create an accurate 3D model of the existing site.

Our technical team will also deliver fully co-ordinated mechanical, electrical and public health drawings for all plant and equipment on the site, to fit within existing site constraints.

Main challenges

Specific challenges will become apparent once the detailed design work is underway, however conservation projects always require highly accurate co-ordination to integrate new services into the existing fabric of the building.

For example, the lighting will be improved in the Centre’s main foyer, along with upgrades to doors and lifts. This will be part of a plan to ‘declutter’ the foyer and create new flexible spaces for art and performance.

New mechanical and electrical services must meet the design objectives and current building regulations, without requiring significant changes to the building’s original layout and character.

Another aim of the project (both in Phase 1 and beyond) is to upgrade the building systems (HVAC, plumbing, lighting and other electrical) to meet net zero targets, which again must be done without disturbing the Grade-II structure.

Solutions provided

3D Point Cloud Scanning will allow the site to be captured as it is, enabling highly accurate MEP design work to go ahead. This will allow early clash detection, ensuring new services can be installed swiftly and cost-effectively.

The latest software will be used to provide fully co-ordinated MEP models including Recap (for 3D Point Cloud scanning), Revit (for MEP and BIM) and Navisworks (for 3D design review).

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