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BARBICAN ARTS CENTRE SILK STREET, LONDON EC2 Telephone: 020 7638 4141 |
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Work started on this vast residential, commercial and arts complex in 1962, and the project, on a site devastated by World War II bombs, took nearly 20 years to complete. Today, five-sixths of the inhabitants of the City of London area live here.
Tall residential towers surround an arts centre, with an ornamental lake, fountains and lawns. Above the the arts centre, surprisingly, is a well-stocked conservatory. Marooned amid the tower blocks is the 16th century church of St Giles, Cripplegate, the only pre-war building on the site. A barbican is a watchtower projecting from a fortified place and the architects of this community may have been trying to live up to the name when they created the centre's formidable defences against the outside world. Raised walkways and obscure entrances distance pedestrians from the the City. The vast concrete complex has little charm and, despite signposts and yellow lines on the pavement, is difficult to navigate, a map is advised! The arts centre includes two theatres, a concert hall, two cinemas, one of London's largest art galleries for touring exhibitions, a convention and exhibition hall, a library and is home to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. The Barbican's resident orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, is one of the finest in Europe, and until 2002 the centre was also the London base of the Royal Shakespeare Company. The events programmes at the arts centre are usually high quality and the foyer hosts a series of free music concerts. The Barbican houses the Museum of London, one of London's best museums. Located at the heart of the City of London with rail, underground and major road links only minutes away, the Barbican is one of the capital's most easily accessible conference venues. Due to its central location, many of London's hotels, restaurants and major attractions are conveniently close at hand. The West End for example, is a couple of tube stops away whilst historic sights such as St. Paul's and the Bank of England are just a short walk. London Hotels near Barbican centre with online reservations: The Rookery, Peters Lane, Cowcross Street, London EC1M 6DS Thistle City Barbican, 120 Central Street, Clerkenwell, London EC1V 8DS Citadines Apart'hotel Barbican, 7-21 Goswell Road, London EC1M 7AH Express by Holiday Inn London City, 275 Old Street, Shoreditch, London EC1V 9LN Express by Holiday Inn Southwark, 103 - 109 Southwark Street, Southwark, London, Greater London, SE1 0JQ Threadneedles, 5 Threadneedle Street, London EC2R 8AY The Chamberlain Hotel, 130 - 135 Minories, London EC3 1NU Novotel London Tower Bridge, 10, Pepys Street, London EC3N 2NU Club Quarters, Gracechurch, 7 Gracechurch Street, London EC3V 0DR More hotels |
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