Barbican Conservatory

The Barbican Centre, designed by Chamberlin, Powell and Bon and opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 3 March 1982, includes a theatre whose fly tower, where scenery is lowered six storeys to the stage, dominated the complex. The architects chose to wrap it in glass rather than leave it bare: the conservatory was planted in 1980-81 and opened in 1984. A second part, the Arid House, given over to cacti and subtropical plants, was added on the east side in 1986.

Sources differ on the opening date: most Barbican and press pages say 1984, while an Atlas Obscura entry gives 1982. Initial visitor numbers were disappointing, according to the same entry, prompting the City of London Corporation to reduce public access and hire the space out for private events. The centre was listed Grade II in September 2001. A restoration has been announced: Harris Bugg Studio, with Allies & Morrison, Asif Khan Studio and Buro Happold, is to tackle a failing glass envelope, concrete cracks causing leaks at theatre level and ageing systems. Works are announced for 2027, with an extended closure.

The conservatory sits on the theatre structure: its steel-and-glass roof spans about 23,000 square feet (2,100 m²) and covers more than 1,600 cubic metres of soil, hand-mixed to a specific recipe. It is arranged on several levels, with a large tropical hall and, above it, the Arid House added in 1986. Entirely glazed, it contrasts with the raw concrete that characterises the rest of the Barbican. The fly-tower walkways, closed to the public, are among the spaces the renovation project hopes to open.

The site is on level 3, reached by the main lifts, and lies off the centre's ordinary circulation routes: visitors have to seek it out. Some parts are hard to reach because of steps. The gardening team, led by head gardener Marta Lowcewicz, relies on natural predators and pathogens for pest control rather than chemicals.

The Barbican cites around 1,500 species of plants and trees, some rare or endangered in the wild (Wikipedia gives more than 2,000). The main hall holds tree ferns, date palms, Swiss cheese plants, coffee and ginger plants, along with fruit trees and a collection of chilli plants. The Arid House gathers cacti, succulents and cool-house orchids; a giant saguaro nicknamed Fred, donated by the Mayor of Salt Lake City, is described as the largest in Europe.

The pools are home to koi and ghost carp, American grass carp, and roach, rudd and tench. A separate pond houses terrapins rescued from Hampstead Heath, where they had multiplied.

The conservatory occupies level 3 of the Barbican Centre on Silk Street, served by Barbican station. It opens on selected days, from noon, free of charge but with a timeslot to book; dates are released about a week ahead. One to two hours is enough to see it, and a café serves tea and light refreshments. Large bags, prams and dogs (other than guide dogs) are not admitted. It combines with the Barbican's other green spaces, including the wildlife garden created in 1990; with works announced for 2027, it is worth checking dates before travelling.