The building

The concept designs, developed by lead architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro, demonstrate the potential to deliver this landmark new building on the current Museum of London site. The City of London Corporation has agreed in principle to make this site available for the Centre for Music when the Museum of London fulfils its ambition to move to West Smithfield.

Diller Scofidio + Renfro’s concept designs aim to turn the Barbican’s inwardly focused campus inside out, creating new open, traffic-free civic space that draws the public from all directions and which hosts 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 light-filled, multi-level foyer presents a porous entry, accessible from street level and via the Barbican’s highwalk network, while the concert hall is designed as an intimate and inclusive space for up to 2,000, in which every seat in the house is a great seat. Its design is tailored for exceptional symphonic sound, yet agile enough to accommodate creative work across all disciplines. Acoustically controlled pods integrated into the hall seating provide visual porosity for education work.



At the very top of the building sits The Coda, a flexible, intimate contemporary performance and events space with views to St. Paul’s and the London skyline. The Coda acts as a beacon affirming the Centre for Music’s place as a cultural destination for the city.

