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Barbican Renewal Consultation: Lakeside

A photo along the Barbican Lakeside in bright sunshine, with a tower at the far end

Photo by Dion Barrett

Lakeside is one of the most unique free spaces in London. 

When the Barbican Centre was opened, this oasis in the Square Mile quickly became a visitor favourite. In common with the Foyers, Lakeside requires a programme of conservation and repair and our proposals will celebrate the architectural heritage of the space while making improvements for today’s visitors.

Barbican Renewal Consultation Survey

We'd like to know what you think about our direction for Renewal, and our plans for the Foyers, Lakeside and Conservatory.

Since the Centre opened in 1982, Lakeside has deteriorated in condition

Tiles on the Lakeside above the Kitchen door are dirty and cracked due to damage

Tiles

Tiled facades need repair and cleaning

A corner of the Lakeside tiled floor shows the glazing in bad condition

Glazing and paving

Glazing and paving need refurbishment or replacement 

The white, inflexible tables and benches on the Lakeside

Furniture

Furniture is inflexible and not suited to a range of user needs 

A fountain on the Lakeside, not working, looking a bit shabby

Fountains

The fountains are not working properly and brickwork is in poor condition

Design principles

Repair and conserve

We propose to sensitively restore and enhance Lakeside. This will include full re-waterproofing and like-for-like replacement of the brick paving. The concrete will remain largely untouched other than a full clean and changes made to reduce future build-up of dirt. The café and restaurant exteriors will be stripped back to their original fabric with later additions removed and the historic character of the space restored. White tile facades will be carefully cleaned and repaired. 

Design for all 

At ground floor the café window sill will be lowered to make it accessible for all users, allowing everyone to enjoy the beautifully framed view across the lake.

Reactivate space

New lighting will help with visibility and make it easier to navigate by highlighting key routes, lake edges and activity zones. Light will be reintroduced under the canopy to signpost the Foyer entrances. Lighting glare will be minimised, respecting neighbouring residences and supporting biodiversity. Shading will be introduced at ground floor to provide comfort inside and outside the building in hot weather. This will help contain furniture outside, keeping a clear path along the Lakeside edge.

Focus on sustainability 

While retaining the original look, the façade of the café and restaurants will be replaced with a new glazing system that performs in line with contemporary standards, helping to improve the environment inside the restaurants and reduce energy use. Fountains along the Lakeside edge will be upgraded providing passive cooling to help mitigate increasing temperatures. New planting will invigorate the Lakeside edge and Level Three balconies. Planting schemes will be climate resilient and improve biodiversity on Lakeside. 

Our vision for the Lakeside

Architectural drawing of the website, showing points 1 to 7
  1. Paving and waterproofing repaired or replaced
  2. Lighting sensitively upgraded to pick out key routes and Lakeside edge
  3. New planting to balconies and Lakeside edge
  4. Facades upgraded with energy-efficient glazing and accessible doors
  5. Shading for external seating and café/restaurant interiors
  6. White tiles refurbished
  7. Fountains upgraded
     

Have your say