Tenders invited for renewal of MEP at the Barbican Centre

Credit: iStock - OGULCAN AKSOY

The City of London Corporation has opened the search for contractors to carry out a major mechanical, electrical and public-health renewal at the Barbican Centre, the Brutalist arts complex in the City of London. The scheme, estimated at £60 million, will replace ageing infrastructure that has reached the end of its service life and will form part of the wider Barbican renewal programme intended to secure the venue’s long-term future.

According to the City, the work will involve new plant, distribution systems and containment across several basement levels and public areas within a live, publicly operated site.

The procurement comes as the Barbican prepares for a broader package of upgrades that the City has already approved. The Evening Standard reported that the corporation has backed a £231 million first phase of renewal work, with funding already committed by the City and the remainder to be raised through philanthropy and partnerships.

That phase includes major accessibility improvements, conservation-led fabric repairs and a redesigned conservatory, as well as changes intended to make the venue more flexible for programming and more welcoming to visitors.

The Barbican’s renewal strategy has been framed as both a practical overhaul and a conservation challenge. The City of London has said the planning application was approved after close work with the Barbican team and Allies and Morrison, with national heritage bodies welcoming the sensitive approach to one of the world’s best-known Brutalist buildings.

The broader scheme is meant to address long-standing problems ranging from accessibility to ageing services, while preserving the character of the Grade II-listed complex.

For the MEP package now going out to tender, the successful contractor will have to keep the centre operating around the works, including phased access arrangements and the isolation of live building services.

The City is also planning a full 12-month closure from the end of June 2028, with work due to begin in February 2027 and run to September 2029, subject to a possible extension to March 2030. Requests to participate are due by 12 October, after which the corporation plans to narrow the field to as many as four pre-qualified bidders for the next stage of procurement.