Designs for the proposed Centre of Music – the £250million crown jewel in the ambitious Culture Mile project – have been released.
Imagery developed by lead architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro include a spectacular exterior concept on the current site of the Museum of London, alongside depictions of a world-class auditorium and a more intimate live music venue on the top floor.
“It aims, above all, to be a place for people of all ages and backgrounds to experience the joy of making-music first hand,” a statement on the Culture Mile website read alongside the release of the images.
A mission statement added that the concept designs aim to turn the Barbican’s “inwardly focused campus inside out”, with the focus firmly placed on creating open, traffic-free civic space that “draws the public from all directions”.
Architects were given a brief to create a complex which could home a mix of outdoor programmes and social spaces.
“This approach ensures the Centre would be a beehive of activity both day and night – creating a place where people want to spend time, even without a concert ticket.”
The Centre for Music would be run by the Barbican, enabling the arts centre to significantly expand its international programme across all genres.
It would also be the home of the London Symphony Orchestra as the principal performing organisation, and the base for the Guildhall School of Music & Drama’s new Institute for Social Impact.
