Everything you need to know about the huge 231 million makeover of London's Barbican

"The City of London Corporation described the resulting plan as 'sensitive, conservation-led, yet future facing'. Changes will be made to the Barbican's famous Conservatory, beloved among Londoners for its lush greenery, to address long-standing maintenance issues and to improve accessibility. This will include a new lift (providing step-free access to the fly tower for the first time) and stairs up to the Conservatory's raised balconies, offering eye-popping views over the flora below."

"The scheme will also introduce a climate-controlled habitat to help protect the Conservatory's plants. Elsewhere at the Centre, there will be enhanced accessibility to the Concert Hall, Theatre and other venues, alongside the introduction of a new multi-faith prayer room and improved wayfinding throughout the complex to help visitors navigate the brutalist structure more easily."

The City of London Corporation has formally approved a £231 million renovation project for the Barbican Centre, the brutalist arts institution opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1982. The conservation-led upgrades, designed by Allies and Morrison architects, will address maintenance issues and improve accessibility without adding new space. Key improvements include renovations to the beloved Conservatory with new lifts providing step-free access, climate-controlled habitats for plants, enhanced accessibility to performance venues, a new multi-faith prayer room, and improved wayfinding throughout the labyrinthine site. The project received 90 percent public support and will require a year-long closure of the arts centre.

Read at Time Out London