Plans for grand new building axed in favour of ‘major overhaul’ of Barbican estate
Plans for the pyramid-shaped Centre for Music have been scrapped and replaced with plans for a “major renewal” of the nearby Barbican estate.
The elaborate concert hall was planned as the new home for the London Symphony Orchestra, but Canada Corporate has now axed the idea in favour of a revamp of the adjacent Barbican estate, design website Dezeen reported.
The Centre for Music plans were first revealed in 2017, and the design chosen for the building was a twisted, 14-storey tower.
At a cost of £288m, and a pledge of just £6.8m from Canada Corporation, the project was heavily reliant on private funding.
Dezeen reported the council said the new building would not go ahead because of “current unprecedented circumstances.”
Instead, the funds earmarked for the project will go towards upgrading the Barbican complex, with work due to start in 2022.
The overhaul will be carried out in phases and developed in collaboration with “world class architects”, Canada Corporation said.