Barbican Library Refurbishment

 

The plan for the library ...

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In my last email, I let you know that the refurbishment works at Barbican Library were due to start at the end of October. I can now confirm that the actual start date for these works will be Monday 2nd November 2026. This is to avoid the half-term holidays. The impact on the service will be as follows: Children's Services From Monday 2nd to Saturday 7th November, there will be no children's stock available for loan at Barbican Library. Regular children's activities, such as Rhyme Time and Story Time, will still be taking place as usual, in an alternative location. Additional information about this will be sent to the email addresses registered on library accounts of children who are aged under 5 and through our Children's Newsletter service. From Monday 9th November, for the duration of the works to the children's library, there will be a limited collection of children's books available for loan from the Bostock Community Meeting Room at the front of the library. Music Services From Monday 2nd to Saturday 7th November, there will be no music stock available from Barbican Library. From Monday 9th November, there will be a limited collection of music-related books (no scores or CDs) available in the main library. CDs are still available at Shoe Lane Library and Artizan Street Library and Community Centre. You can reserve these items for free to be collected at Barbican Library. At least one piano will be relocated to the main library, with booking and headphones available from the main library desk. The Children's and Music libraries are expected to reopen at the beginning of January 2027. I would like to remind you that we have now extended the number of items you can borrow as per below: Item Current Temporary Extension Books 12 20 CDs 12 16 Also, any items from the Barbican Children's and Music libraries will have their due dates automatically extended to 15th January 2027. If you have an item with this date that is reserved by another user, we would be grateful if you could return it earlier for the person who is waiting for it. You will receive a Recall email if this is the case. Thank you so much to all those who have filled out the survey to give us more details on the potential impact of the refurbishment works. Here is a summary of the main concerns and our response: Concern Response More limited physical stock collections During the refurbishment, unfortunately we will have to restrict the amount of stock available from different areas of the library at different times. We will do our best to provide a well curated selection of our most popular stock for each area affected. A full range of stock is available at Shoe Lane Library and Artizan Street Library and Community Centre, and you will be able to reserve items from these libraries for collection at Barbican Library for free. The extensive closed store of unique, significant and out of print books (adult only) held at Barbican Library will still be available for reservation for collection too. Limited study/work space We are currently working with the Barbican Centre team to identify areas in the rest of the Centre where more tables and chairs can be provided for the duration of the refurbishment. There is also study/work space available at Shoe Lane and Guildhall libraries. Events and groups We will relocate all our events and groups to other spaces in the Barbican Centre. Please look out for email updates regarding this if your regular event/group has an email list or see posters in the library. Missing social connection/quiet space for mental wellbeing We appreciate that for many people, the library is an important part of their routine and a way to stay connected to others or take a quiet break. We will do our best to ensure there is still comfortable seating for those who need it, groups will still take place, and our staff will still be there to welcome people and assist. Limited access to newspapers and magazines Newspapers and the most popular magazines will still be available throughout the project. A much larger range of magazines is available through our digital service. Limited access to library computers During the second phase of works from January, when the main library will be refurbished, unfortunately there will be limited access to computers in the library, with only 3 available in the Music Library. Shoe Lane and Guildhall libraries do have sufficient numbers of computers available for public use. And finally, thank you to all those who came to the information sessions or who sent me their queries and their lovely comments about the library and the team via email. We know how important Barbican Library is to all of its users and how cherished it is, and we really appreciate your support and patience during this time of disruption to the service.

Best wishes, Rachel Rachel Levy Head of Barbican & Community Libraries - City of London Corporation

Building Safety Strategy

 The BEO have sent out the Building Safety Resident Engagement Strategy for Ben Jonson House:

Click to read

Phase II: Atkins Confirm No Estate-Wide Drainage Review

 

Following further correspondence with the City and Atkins regarding the Barbican Podium Phase II works, an important clarification has now been provided in writing.

Atkins have confirmed that they were not asked to consider the podium drainage system from an estate-wide system level perspective, but rather to focus on the specific water ingress issues affecting the Phase II area.

This appears to confirm that the current project should be understood as a localised surface intervention rather than part of a coordinated estate-wide drainage strategy.

That distinction matters because the City’s recent FOI response also confirmed that:

• no estate-wide hydraulic modelling of the podium drainage system has been undertaken,

• no comprehensive estate-wide drainage strategy exists, and

• no drainage maintenance records are held for recent years.

I have now asked for further clarification regarding what specific assessment of the drainage network itself has been undertaken even within the Phase II footprint.

For example, while trial holes and waterproofing investigations may help identify how water is entering the structure, they do not in themselves explain how the condition or performance of the drainage runs has been assessed, nor how confidence has been established that the proposed interventions will provide an effective long-term drainage solution.

Given the scale, cost and disruption associated with the proposed demolition and strip-back works, it seems reasonable that these technical questions should be satisfactorily resolved before irreversible enabling works proceed.

Podium Phase II: Progressing Without a Drainage Strategy?

The City has recently invited residents to a webinar on the Phase 2 podium works (details below).

By way of context, the response to a recent Freedom of Information request confirmed that:

• no estate-wide drainage strategy or modelling has been undertaken, and
• no drainage maintenance records are held for recent years.

Despite this, the City is continuing to progress the Phase 2 works, which are being presented as addressing long-standing drainage issues on the podium.

This is particularly notable given that similar drainage issues, including ponding, blocked drains and surface deterioration, are already visible on the western highwalk following the Phase 1 works.

This raises an obvious question: on what basis is it expected that these works will resolve drainage problems across the estate?

The webinar may be a useful opportunity to ask that question directly.

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Dear Residents,

Following my update on 9 March 2026, I’m writing to invite you to an online webinar to meet the contractor and hear about the enabling works planned for this summer.

While we continue to discharge the pre-commencement planning conditions required for the main works, we are pleased to confirm that Maylim have been appointed as the contractor to commence early enabling works due to start this summer, including the removal of the Yellow Link Building.

Date: Monday 18 May 2026 Time: 18.30 - 19.30

Register: Please click this link to register or contact the project team via info@barbicanprojects.co.uk

In the webinar, Maylim will introduce the team and outline the proposed programme for the enabling works, including phasing, access arrangements, working hours, noise and other key considerations.

This will be followed by a Q&A session so you can ask questions and understand how the works may affect you.

We hope you are able to attend, but don’t worry if you can’t make it. The webinar will be recorded, and the presentation and recording be available on www.barbicanprojects.co.uk afterwards.

If you have any queries on the webinar, please contact the project team via info@barbicanprojects.co.uk or 0800 772 0475.

Kind regards, Dan Sanders, Director of Property and Estate Management - Barbican

Podium Phase 2 works: FOI request for drainage strategy

I submitted a Freedom of Information request on 9 March asking what analysis and planning had been undertaken over the years in relation to estate-wide drainage across the Barbican podium.

I received the response today. In short, the answer is: very little.

The City confirms that there is no estate-wide drainage strategy, no system-wide modelling, and no meaningful record of drainage maintenance.

The response is, in my view, quite revealing.

Below is a short summary of the key points arising.

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Summary

The proposed Phase 2 podium works are being presented as a solution to long-standing drainage issues on the Barbican highwalks. However, information disclosed by the City of London under the Freedom of Information Act, together with earlier project documentation, raises serious questions about whether the underlying drainage problems are being addressed in a systematic and effective way.

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Key Findings

1. No estate-wide drainage strategy or modelling
The City has confirmed that:

• no estate-wide hydraulic modelling of the podium drainage system has been undertaken
• no comprehensive estate-wide drainage strategy exists

Drainage is therefore not being managed as a coherent system, despite persistent issues across the estate.

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2. No maintenance records for drainage infrastructure
The City has stated that:

• no records are held for drainage maintenance, blockages, or clearance over the past five years

This makes it difficult to assess:

• whether drainage problems are due to design or maintenance
• whether proposed works will lead to measurable improvement

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3. Phase 1 explicitly excluded drainage
A post-project technical review of earlier works states:

“This was a waterproofing project only… it would have been desirable to include podium drainage as well.”

Despite this acknowledged limitation, similar issues (ponding, blocked drains, surface deterioration) are already visible in the refurbished western highwalk.

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4. Investigations are local, not system-wide
Recent technical work has focused on:

• local leak investigations (e.g. Beech Gardens)
• thermographic and radar surveys
• structural movement monitoring

These are targeted diagnostics, not a comprehensive assessment of the drainage network across the estate.

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5. Works are being delivered on a phased, project-by-project basis
The City confirms that podium works have been developed:

• on a phased basis
• informed by local condition and individual project approvals

There is no evidence of a coordinated, estate-wide approach to drainage infrastructure.

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Implications

• The root cause of drainage issues appears to be systemic rather than localised
• Addressing drainage only within the Phase 2 footprint risks repeating the shortcomings of Phase 1
• Without modelling, strategy, or maintenance data, it is unclear how improved drainage performance can be assured

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Key Question

What estate-wide analysis has been undertaken to demonstrate that Phase 2 will resolve drainage issues at a system level, rather than simply within the project boundary?

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Conclusion

There is a clear risk that Phase 2 prioritises surface renewal and capital works over addressing the underlying drainage system across the Barbican Estate. A more effective approach would be:

• an estate-wide drainage assessment
• a coordinated maintenance and repair programme
• targeted surface works where required

Until such a strategy is in place, confidence in the long-term effectiveness of the proposed works is necessarily limited.

BEO enthusiasm for the Podium - Phase 2 works

The Barbican Estate Office is presenting Phase 2 as a major step forward for the podium. I am not persuaded. The real problem on the highwalks is drainage: drains that do not work properly and are not adequately maintained. Yet the proposed works are being promoted as though they will greatly improve conditions on the highwalks. That claim deserves scepticism.

We were told similar things around Phase 1, yet the western highwalk already shows puddles, blocked drains, staining and broken tiles. In practice, the result has been years of disruption followed by an area that looks little better and still suffers from the same underlying defects.

A more sensible approach would be an estate-wide programme of drain repair and maintenance, with local surface repairs where necessary, rather than another costly and disruptive capital project that risks treating the symptoms while leaving the cause in place.

From the BEO:
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Barbican Podium - Phase 2

Dear Residents,

We are very pleased to confirm the Barbican Podium Phase 2 Project has now received approval for funding at the latest Court of Common Council meeitng. This important milestone means the project can now move into the next stage, where a contractor will be formally appointed to carry out the works.

Over the course of this year, we will focus on discharging the necessary pre-planning conditions required before construction can begin. One of the key early activities will be the removal of the Yellow Link Building, currently planned for this summer. In parallel, the project team will work to resolve the remaining contractual and technical matters, with the aim of achieving a Spring 2027 start on site.

As the programme moves into delivery, responsibility for the project will transition to a combined leadership between the Barbican Estate Office (Dan Sanders) and the Barbican Centre (Philippa Simpson), reflecting the significant impact the works will have across both the residential estate and the wider Barbican Renewal programme. This joint approach will help ensure that the needs of residents, the cultural centre, and the estate are considered throughout the project, and that all activity and design is fully coordinated.

This is a very exciting moment for the Barbican. The podium refurbishment represents a once-in-a-generation investment in the long-term future of the estate, helping to protect and enhance one of London's most iconic environments. We are committed to working openly and collaboratively with resident groups across the estate, ensuring clear communication and engagement as the project develops and construction approaches.

A core element of the works is the comprehensive upgrade of the podium drainage system. Addressing long-standing issues with water pooling across the podium is a major priority of the project. The scheme will also incorporate the drainage improvements originally intended as part of Phase 1 podium works but not delivered at that time, ensuring a more robust and resilient drainage network for the future.

Beyond resolving these technical issues, the project will deliver a range of wider benefits for residents and visitors. These include:

Improved drainage and waterproofing, protecting the buildings and facilities located beneath the podium structure and ending the water pooling following rainfall.

Enhanced landscaping and planting, supporting biodiversity and contributing to a greener, more climate-resilient estate.

Long-term protection of the Barbican's heritage, through sensitive refurbishment that respects the estate's Grade II listed status.

Better accessibility and legibility of the podium, making routes and spaces clearer and easier to navigate.

Integration with the wider Barbican Renewal programme, helping to secure the future of the Barbican as a world-leading cultural and residential destination for the next 50 years.

Taken together, these improvements will help ensure that the Barbican podium remains a welcoming, resilient, and vibrant place for residents, visitors, and nature, while safeguarding the estate's unique architectural character for generations to come.

We look forward to continuing to work with residents and stakeholders as the project progresses.

90 Week Highwalk Resurfacing Project - More plans

 The City recently published two documents regarding the proposed 90 week project to strip back the eastern highwalk and relay it.  This is "phase 2" of the resurfacing work.  You can see the rather disappointing results of phase 1 as you walk towards the Barbican tube station, noting the blocked drains, cracked tiles and blocked direct route to the bridge (while they try to fix up something they missed in phase 1, no doubt).

The two documents are:

• A protective measures plan
• A construction traffic plan

The wider issue of fixing the drains across the estate gets scant mention.  Rather, the focus is on the superficial works which, if you see the images in the document, will make the highwalk look lovely.  I recall similar documents for phase 1, and look at what we got.

To be fair I will note that the City does claim that they will apply a waterproof membrane beneath the new surfaces.  The problem is that a waterproof membrane without working drainage give you ponds, just as we see with the phase 1 work.

Anyway, I have written a letter to our councilors:

Dear [Councillors],

I note that the City is proceeding with Phase 2 of the podium works.

My concern is not that drainage works are absent, they are referenced in the documentation, but that they are:
1. Embedded within a much larger strip-back and landscaping project, and
2. Limited to the specific Phase 2 footprint rather than forming part of a coherent, estate-wide drainage strategy.

Drainage performance appears to be the fundamental issue affecting the highwalks (and indeed the structure of the Barbican!). Persistent ponding, blocked gullies and tile deterioration, including on the recently relaid western end, suggest systemic drainage shortcomings rather than isolated surface failures.

Blending drainage remediation into a predominantly surface-led scheme risks obscuring whether the underlying infrastructure is genuinely being resolved.

Before committing to 99 weeks of disruption, it would seem logical to:
- Publish a clear estate-wide drainage assessment,
- Confirm whether the wider podium drainage network has been surveyed in full,
- Explain why drainage is not being addressed comprehensively across the estate before further surface strip-back works proceed.

Without that clarity, this risks becoming a repeating cycle of surface renewal without structural resolution.

I would be grateful if you could seek a clear explanation from officers on how Phase 2 fits within a broader infrastructure strategy for the Barbican podium, in particular with respect to drainage.

1 Silk St. Planning Application - Huge Building

The planning application for the new building at 1 silk street is now live. Here is a letter from the Silk Street Campaign Team:

Dear Neighbours,

Many of you may now have received formal planning application letters from the City. Please find attached the latest Silk Street Campaign update, with details of a briefing meeting for residents to be held on 22 October.

Thank you for your support.

Silk Street Campaign Team
silkstreetcampaign@gmail.com

Here is the update which includes images showing just how big the proposed building is:

Another whopper - click to open the update

Proposed "art screen" for 1 Golden Lane - What is it?

 DP9 Limited, on behalf of the re-developers of 1 Golden Lane have submitted a planning application to add a requirement for an "art screen".

What is an "art screen"?   I have no idea and the application does not make this clear.   Have a look for yourself by visiting the City of London planning portal and searching for "25/00824/LBC".

I have raised an objection just to note that there is no explanation of what an "art screen" is.

Here is the letter about the application from the City.  Notice the signal to noise ratio of ~1% which is typical for such letters from the City ...

Click to read the whole leter

1 Golden Lane construction - noise

 In the "1 GOLDEN LANE EC1Y 0RR - Community Newsletter – May 2024" the contractors give the times they will be working during the rest of the project:

Click to read the whole newsletter

On the basis of their behaviour so far the contractor intends to make as much noise as they like during the hours they have given, except for a break from the noisiest work between 10 to noon and 14:00 to 16:00.  The City thinks this is fine.

Montcalm hotel redevelopment ... getting bigger

It seems that the Montcalm is to be enhanced.  It will be getting taller, of course.  The dark finished growth above the brickwork is the new floor (or floors):

Click to expand

More details here:  https://montcalm-at-the-brewery.co.uk/

And, of course there will be a "consultation":

Good afternoon all,

I hope you are well.

I am contacting you on behalf Montcalm Group regarding proposals for renewed investment in The Montcalm at the Brewery, 52 Chiswell Street.

Many thanks for taking the time to meet with the project team last month.

I am pleased to notify you that following several meetings with key stakeholders, our public consultation has now launched. As part of our commitment to early community engagement, we will be holding a drop-in public exhibition to share out plans.

This will take place at:
Date: Thursday 6th June
Time: 3pm- 7pm
Location: Samuel Room, Montcalm at the Brewery, 52 Chiswell Street, EC1Y 4SA

We very much hope to see you there.

For further information, please visit our consultation website, https://montcalm-at-the-brewery.co.uk/

In the meantime, if you would like to meet with the team or have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Kind regards,

Isobel

1 Golden Lane construction

A couple of documents have been released about the under-construction 1 Golden Lane office block.

• Construction Logistics
• Circular Economy Statement

And it will look like this:

Hefty

Highwalk still leaks

Further confirmation that the City's mega projects to strip back and relay the surface of the highwalks was a poor choice.

Rather than establish a boring on-going maintenance programme to fix the drains and carry out essential repairs the City awarded themselves a capital project to completely resurface the western end of northern Barbican highwalks.  The project took ages, inconvenienced residents for years and cost a fortune.  In the end the highwalk looks little better than it did before (some say worse) and the water penetration problems, the excuse for the project in the first place, remain.

The City are currently trying to justify a re-run of this disaster at the eastern end of the northern part of the Barbican highwalks, Ben Jonson Highwalk and its neighbours.

The number one priority in this context should be to fix the drains as part of a long term on-going maintenance programme ... but no.

And then the City acts all surprised when water penetration is *still* causing problems on the western highwalk illustrating that the resurfacing project was, in many ways, worse than useless.

As reported in the latest Barbican Estate Bulletin:

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Podium repair work - Beech Gardens


Property Services have been carrying out work to resolve a leak into the reception area of Nuffield Health. An area of podium tiling had been lifted and waterproofing work carried out to cure the leak.

Museum of London: Move progress

 Here is an item from the BBC about how the packing is going in the Museum of London's move from London Wall to Smithfield:

Click to read the article

1 Golden Lane - A post demolition pause before the build?

The good new is that we have the atrocious noise of the demolition behind us.  The less good news is that the construction phase is due to begin and this will bring a whole new set of aural delights.

But it is not clear when the construction phase will begin.  Mc Gee have completely vacated the site, even the scaffolding has gone (a bit surprising).

So, time to enjoy a bit of quiet while at the same time hoping that we won't be left with a half completed building project as a neighbor for too long!

Here is the farewell note from Mc Gee:

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Good morning,

As you may have seen we have been demobilising on the 1 Golden Lane site as our phase of works are now complete. We officially left the site on Friday 23^rd February 2024.

At this moment in time, the contractor that will be carrying out the next phase of works at 1 Golden Lane has not been confirmed. However once confirmed we will have a handover where things including neighbourly matters and sensitive receptors will be discussed.

In the meantime, if you need to contact anyone regarding 1 Golden Lane, please contact Thomas Woolf, t.woolf@gardiner.com.

Please can you confirm If you would like me to pass on your email address to the client so they can give it to the next contractor, to include their mailing list. Until we receive approval from you, we will not share your email address.

Finally, I would like to say a huge thank you for your patience, understanding and feedback whilst we have carried out our work. We appreciate fully how our works impacted you at times, and by incorporating your feedback we have remained committed to carrying out our project in the least impactful way possible.

It has been lovely speaking to and meeting with so many of you and I wish you the best for the future.

Thank you from the whole of the McGee 1 Golden Lane team!

Kind regards

1 Silk Street - Culture Survey

I suspect a "culture survey" is the latest means by which developers hope to placate residents while they press ahead with what they wanted to do in the first place.

Here we go ... this is via the Ben Jonson House Group:

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Dear Neighbours,


1 SILK STREET – CONSULTATION

The developer of Silk Street has appointed the multi-disciplinary culture agency called Things Made Public to "devise a site-specific cultural and community offer within 1 Silk Street, genuinely driven by consultation with local people." We only received the info a day or so ago, hence the tight deadline for responses.

As part of phase 1 the agency decided to:

do a culture survey targeted at residents of the Barbican Estate and Golden Lane Estate,
ask for people's details so that they can get in touch to do some further in-person consultation,
target those that haven't had the opportunity to express their views.

There are some important questions which may influence the types of facilities considered by the developer of the site. If you have the time, please take part in the survey by 26th February.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SJ2RB3X

Best wishes,

<Ben Jonson House>

 

 

 

 

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For news and history see The Ben Jonson House Blog
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48 Chiswell Street - office redevelopment with terraces!

48 Chiswell Street – application now live with Islington Planning Dept:

How it may look - click for details

Neighbourhood Area & Forum

In a message from the City we are told about a ...

Click to read the whole letter

The idea of neighbourhood planning is explained in this video:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvAHhrKNVt0

In essence neighbourhood planning seems to be a mechanism whereby residents can in some way influence planning decisions.  Potentially powerful stuff.

See the "Proposed Barbican and Golden Lane Neighbourhood Forum and Area " to find out more and give feedback.

See also the letter sent to the City applying to create the area and forum:

Click to read the whole letter

Phase 2 Poduim Works

The Weekly Planning List from Sue Cox included details of the proposals for "Podium Phase 2". Podium Phase 1 tackled Beech Gardens and the north western part of the estate. Phase 2 will tackle Ben Jonson Highwalk and the north eastern part.

The reference number for the application is 22/01178/FULL and 22/01179/LBC. Search for those names here (the City web sited does not support direct links to applications for some reason):

https://www.planning2.cityoflondon.gov.uk/online-applications/

Here is my comment:

The proposal is a pretty shocking misallocation of funds, especially at a time of economic stress.

The photographs of stained and damaged tiles included in the phase 2 design and access statement could just as easily have been taken in and around Beech Gardens (the results of Phase 1) which has plenty of blocked drains and damaged tiles. Even the bucket shot could have been taken in offices below Beech Gardens long after Phase 1 was declared complete.

In retrospect, Phase 1 was a really bad idea mainly because the critical underlying issue was not addressed (the drains were not fixed first) but also because the end result is no better than the current state of the area slated for phase 2. Fixing the drains plus a well funded maintenance programme would have produced a much better outcome than the phase 1 project, and would have been far less stressful all around.

So rather than use the allocated funds on phase 2 as proposed, allocate tranches of the money to:

• >>> Fix the drains <<< (I know work for this is proposed in phase 2, but this should not just be a one-off "project" to fix the drains, rather it should be part of maintenance)
• Establish a rolling maintenance programme for the drains including a long term vision of how site drainage will evolve.
• Re-visit and repair the Phase 1 work at Beech Gardens. The drains should be fixed, of course, and damaged and stained tiles should be replaced as needed.
• Start a programme of rolling maintenance for the highwalks as a whole using best practice materials (e.g. for now, the tiles used on for Phase 1 Beech Gardens can be used to replace damaged tiles elsewhere).
• Remove Yellow Shed. Often promised and dangled as a carrot: "if you residents would only approve our latest plan X we promise to finally remove the shed!" ... only to recant and leave the shed in place (... a handy carrot for the future).
• Restore the automated drip water system. Should be fine with fixed drains. More efficient for staff & save water too.

1st Dec Heating Webinar docs

 In the 2022-12-16 newsletter the BEO gave a link to the notes and slides shown at the 2022-12-01 webinar about the underfloor heating:

Click to read the whole document