Plans for a £ 288m London Music Center have been canceled in favor of an upgrade to the current Barbican Center. The 14-story Concert Hall was to be built on the southeastern edge of the Barbican – where the London Museum is currently located – and would provide a new home for the London Symphony Orchestra. But the plan relied on huge private investment, with the City of London Corporation pledging just 6.8 million pounds against the projected cost of 288 million pounds. Now the local authority has confirmed that the scheme “will not be progressed,” citing “unprecedented current conditions,” according to reports from Construction News ‘sister, The Architects’ Journal. Instead, the City of London said it would gradually renovate the Barbican Center – including the space left by the London Museum, which is slated to move to a new home in West Smithfield in 2024. Architect Diller Scofidio + Renfrew has been appointed to the Music Center Committee In January 2019 it released designs for a 2,000-seat venue, but no progress has been made since then. The Barbican renovation will instead provide improved facilities, including new civic spaces, with community sites and creative learning programs “through art forms”. Tom Sly, Chairman of the Barbican Center, said: “Today’s decision launches a set of ambitious plans that will have a transformative effect on the Barbican Center – the cultural jewel on the Square Mile.” This cultural center in the heart of London is highly admired and respected by fans and artists. At home and abroad, and it will be transformed to ensure it continues to please the masses over the next 40 years. ”
0 Comments