The Barbican

I've come down to London for the weekend and will be meeting friends for lunch and then going to a concert at the Barbican Centre this evening.

I decided to take a walk around this very unusual example of late 70s early 1980s architecture which, while it is not beautiful by today's tastes, was really ground-breaking in its day. I took some photos that are more flashy, but I think this one captures the essence of the highly unusual complex.

The concert I'm going to features Dawn Upshaw, the wonderful American soprano. She willl be appearing with Emanuel Ax and they will perform the music of Chopin and Schumann.

The Barbican Centre is the largest performing arts centre in Europe.

Wikipedia has this to say about it : "Located in the north of the City of London, England, in the heart of the Barbican Estate, the Centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhibitions. It also houses a library, three restaurants, and a conservatory. The London Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Symphony Orchestra are based in the Barbican Centre's concert hall.

The Barbican Centre is owned, funded, and managed by the City of London Corporation ? the third-largest funder of the arts in the United Kingdom. It was built as the City's gift to the nation, and opened in 1982 at a cost of £161 million."