please empty your brain below
I remember looking at the Barbican conservatory many years ago it seemed then more concrete than plants, looks now the plants have grown and matured it is worth another visit.

John | 19.03.14 - 7:08 a.m. | #

Thanks. Possible to combine with a visit to the Museum of London no doubt.

Andrew | 19.03.14 - 7:29 a.m. | #

Before they recently moved the Barbican subsidiary cinemas around, to get to the no 3 / 4 screens, you had to walk past the edge of the COnservatory at high level.
I think (I may be wrong) that you could get on to a balcony inside, but you could not get in to the main part of the space.
You could certainly smell the vegetaion & the lushness in that corridor.

| 19.03.14 - 7:44 a.m. | #

It's not open to residents during the week, either. It's now only open to anyone on Sundays. And frequently (as I've found, having bought my Sunday cup of stewed coffee beans from downstairs) it's shut due to lack of staff or special events; which is a shame.

I hope your post encourages a few more people up here to explore it, even though I do quite like it being a bit of a secret space. If people don't visit, then it'll shut - which is why they only open days are Sundays and BHs.

Tim Dunn | Homepage | 19.03.14 - 8:49 a.m. | #

I had lunch in there as part of a terrible conference about, er, I can't even remember now. Didn't give much thought to where in the Barbican I was as the whole place is a maze and I never have much sense of location there at the best of times. So thanks for shedding some light on the space.

Steve | 19.03.14 - 10:59 a.m. | #

Such a shame it's open so rarely. I love visiting both Kew, and the Banks Conservatory in Lincoln (named after Captain Cook's botanist who lived in that city), although the latter appears to have been sadly neglected the last time I was there, and would definitely look in to the Barbican's one from time to time now I know it is there as I work just down the road (but not on Sundays!).

timbo | 19.03.14 - 11:34 a.m. | #

Blimey - another place I've visited, myself, just recently!
I too was really impressed by it all.
And oddly enough, there was also a fashion shoot taking place there on the Sunday that I went.
As well as the birds they also have some pretty impressive koi carp!

RogerW | 19.03.14 - 1:25 p.m. | #

Shh! This has been a secret Sunday favourite of mine for years. It's definitely got busier lately though - there was a large art class in there last time I went, taking up all the seats :/

teapot | 19.03.14 - 4:17 p.m. | #

I think the planting was done as a way to cover-up the concrete coldness. Also believe that London as a whole needs a push for more tree-planting. All those new developments planned mean more people, more traffic (cars and vans/lorries making deliveries). Only have to look at what occured in Paris recently. I am sure the air in London has improved but with a possible population of 10 million in the future we really need to start acting now.

Ed | 19.03.14 - 4:39 p.m. | #

I took a backstage tour of the Barbican Theatre last year. While moving round the narrow gallery at the top of the fly tower, looking down onto the stage a long way below, we briefly popped 'outside' through a small door and found ourselves in the conservatory. Very odd.

Dave | 19.03.14 - 7:07 p.m. | #

Brutalism and botany sounds perfect to me - thanks DG. I can't wait to get there now!

EskimoPie | 21.03.14 - 7:02 p.m. | #











TridentScan v2.10.0 | Privacy Policy