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A view from across the theatre of a scaffolding-filled stage (Nov 1979)
Love it or hate it, the Barbican isn't going anywhere – and not just because it’s made of whopping great tonnes of hefty, Grade II-listed concrete. Opened by the Queen in 1982, the Barbican complex took over a decade to build and was declared 'one of the modern wonders of the world' by her majesty. Recently, and unexpectedly, the Barbican came into possession of over 1,400 photographs of the final stages of its construction. Rarely seen images of the Brutalist beauty being bashed together are now part of the Barbican's 'Building the Brutal' series. Take a look at some of our favourites below, featuring trees being craned across the conservatory, construction workers dangling in the concert hall and those famously textured walls being painstakingly sculpted, almost unbelievably, by a man with a drill.
When you’re done, check out our pick of the Barbican's greatest hits or find photography in London on at the moment.
