Sketch of Gilbert House, Barbican by Cathryn Worrell |
We start 2019 with a visit to the Barbican in the City of London, which is one of the most remarkable examples of Brutalist architecture in the country.
Please note that unlike most of our sketchcrawls, this one will take place on a Sunday. This is because Sunday is the only day of the week that the Barbican Conservatory is usually open.
The day is free of charge, and there's no need to book. Just turn up with your own art kit.
Key times and meeting points for the day:
11am Meet inside main entrance on Silk Street
1pm Meet on Lakeside Terrace to share sketches and take a group photo
3.30pm Meet on Lakeside Terrace (or just inside if wet) to share sketches and take an end of day photograph.
Options for Sketching
Sketch of St Giles' Church by Gafung Wong |
We can sketch the residential buildings, inside and outside the Arts Centre, the Museum of London, St Giles' Church and the St Alphage gardens and highwalks.
Illustrated Map of the Barbican Estate by Cathryn Worrell |
Since it is a Sunday the Barbican Conservatory may also be open. This is the second largest conservatory in London and can be found on level 3 of the Barbican Centre, although there is a possibility that it will be closed for a private function. More information about that should be available on the day.
Practical Information
The Barbican Centre is open from 9am - 11pm and this floor plan shows the layout of the Arts Centre.
There are cafes, toilets and lots of seating throughout the Barbican Centre. There is also a cafe attached to the Barbican cinemas on Beech street, as well as a Waitrose and Pret a Manger on nearby Whitecross Street.
The nearest underground stations are Barbican and Moorgate. Old Street, St Paul's and Liverpool Street stations are a short walk away.
Bus 153 also runs right past the Barbican Centre along Chiswell Street, and other buses stop nearby. See the TFL website for more information.
Access maps on the Barbican wesbite show the route to the Barbican centre (with photos) from nearby stations.
For more information see the Barbican website.
The day is run by Cathryn Worrell and Gafung Wong.