The Centre would bring much-needed regeneration to this area of the Square Mile and as a major project, represent placemaking for the twenty-first century.
– Catherine McGuinness

The London Centre for Music, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, has received a funding boost of nearly £2m ($2.3m, €2.2m) for the next stage of its development.

Announced in 2017, the vision for the centre is "to develop a world-class venue for performance and education across all musical genres".

It will transform part of and be run by the Barbican performing arts centre and will be a new home for the London Symphony Orchestra and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama’s Institute for Social Impact.

The designs for the centre have been conceived to "turn the Barbican’s inwardly-focused campus inside out" and to "unlock the urban potential" of the complex, creating a new gateway to the emerging Culture Mile and linking it with the South Bank.

They include an "intimate and inclusive" concert hall for up to 2,000 people with seating that wraps all sides of the stage, that has been designed for "exceptional symphonic sound" and that has the flexibility to host a variety of different events.

There will also be rehearsal, performance and education spaces and a varied outdoor public realm where people can spend time both during the day and at night, even when they are not attending events.

The building is planned for the current site of the Museum of London, which is seeking to move to a new location in the Smithfield area of the city.

Provided by the City of London Corporation, which is the governing body for the Square Mile area of the UK capital in which the centre is to be built, will allow for continued work on proposals.

This will include the funding model for the centre and technical studies to inform the site’s masterplan, which will involve extensive regeneration and pedestrianisation.

Catherine McGuinness, policy chair at the City of London Corporation, said: "Attracting outstanding performers and diverse audiences, as well as engagement from creative businesses, the Centre would bring much-needed regeneration to this area of the Square Mile and as a major project, represent placemaking for the twenty-first century."

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