One of the most important renewal projects in recent memory is a step closer to being realized in central London. 

The city’s development corporation has officially revealed its competition shortlist of design partners for the highly-publicized Barbican Centre revamp. 

Five teams were named to the list featuring a variety of international and local standouts that were tapped to compete for the chance to leave their mark on the capital and what is perhaps the country’s foremost example of Brutalism.

Adjaye Associates led the list in what would be an interesting follow-up to the firm's controversial UK Holocaust Memorial project currently nearing its start two-and-a-half miles away in Westminster. The firm’s bid is combined with assistance from Benetti Architects and PUP and joined on the list by another from BIG, aided by Avanti Architects and POoR Collective and one from DS+R, with McCloy + Muchemwa and Purcell as design partners. Two entries headlined by local firms round out the list, with an entry from Allies and Morrison and Asif Khan Studio set against another led by Feilden Clegg Bradley’s FCBStudios with the ultra-creative London-based studio Bureau de Change, Schulze+Grassov, and Thinc joining as partners.

Per the project’s design brief, the winning plan will strive for net-zero goals set forth in the city’s ambitious 2027 net-zero promise and should figure out a path towards improved wayfinding and the successful longevity of the Culture Mile landmark in a way that is in keeping with the spirit of the site’s original architecture. 

“This project will harness the visionary ambition of the City of London Corporation forty years ago, which chose to build the Centre, and make the venue ready for another four decades, continuing and amplifying the brilliant artistic achievements since then,” Barbican Centre Board chair Tom Sleigh said in a statement. “Crucially, this project will strengthen the Barbican’s ability to play a leading role in the recovery of the City and the capital from the pandemic.”

Each submission has a proposed budget between £50 and £150 million ($68 to $204 million). The shortlisted teams were awarded an honorarium of £20,000 ($27,000) for their creative efforts and will now look forward to the interview process and eventual announcement of the content’s official winner, which should be expected sometime in April.