"Everything leaks, says Philippa Simpson, the director of buildings and renewal at the Barbican, who is standing outside the venue's lakeside area and inspecting the tired-looking tiles beneath her feet. Water seeps through the cracks into the building below and serves as a reminder of the job facing Simpson and the team who are overhauling the 43-year-old landmark. The first phase of the project will cost 231m,"
"including the central services plant room: a maze of concrete corridors lined by green pipework that is a third of the size of Wembley stadium. Inside, five tanks, including one that can hold 250,000 litres that once provided hot water for heating sit dormant and need to be replaced. The issue is that the Barbican was built around them, meaning they need to be chopped up and removed."
Philippa Simpson inspects lakeside tiles where water seeps through cracks into the building below, highlighting pervasive leaks. The 43-year-old Barbican requires extensive overhaul; the first phase will cost £231m and the overall bill is estimated at £451m, with partial completion aimed for the 50th anniversary in 2032. The central services plant room is a maze of concrete corridors and green pipework a third the size of Wembley stadium, with five dormant tanks, including a 250,000-litre unit, that must be cut up and removed. Drab carpets and confusing signage will be replaced; engineers call the work messy and risky. The Barbican opened in 1982 and now attracts over 1.5 million visitors annually.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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