Barbican Wayfinding Refresh Project
[Signage]
Barbican Wayfinding Integrated with the Original Architecture
Rethinking the Barbican way finding which is notoriously known for the complicated layout with its elevated walkway.
The Barbican, opened in 1982, was designed by architects Chamberlin, Powell, and Bon. Conceived in the Brutalist style, the estate was originally intended to be a vibrant, bustling environment. However, this vision was never fully realized, largely due to the complex and often confusing layout of the estate.
Recognizing this challenge, we set out to develop a wayfinding system to help newcomers navigate the Barbican more easily, allowing them to better appreciate all the amenities and experiences the estate has to offer.
Location:
London, United Kingdom
Role:
Urban Design
Architecture
Environmental Graphics
Phasing:
Pre-Design
Schematic Design
Design Year:
2023
Collaborators:
Ellie Graham
Emma Levine
Kate Harrington
Thanks to:
Helen Kearney
Target Audience
For this project, we decided to focus on people who are visiting here for the first time. As newcomers ourselves, we found it very difficult to navigate the space on our own. We wanted to focus on new visitors to the Barbican Center to eliminate this confusion and make visiting the center a more pleasant experience.
Inspiration
When navigating at the Barbican, it is often described as “lost”, “confusing”, and “like a maze”. As a team we have been focusing on finding possibilities to design way findings to guide visitors into the Barbican. Our inspiration comes from the use of colors in the forests, used by professional and amateur hikers. Using the colors, we were able to provide directions to major spaces within the Barbican.
Inspired by hiking trails and its way finding method, our team integrated this typology into the Barbican.
With coloured wayfinding, visitors are able to walk around the Barbican without any confusion.
Research
When navigating at the Barbican, it is often described as “lost”, “confusing”, and “like a maze”. The Barbican gets 1.3 million visitors every year, and it is one of the most well-known architecture pieces in London. The complex is significant because it is known as one of the key example for a brutalist design. The Barbican is not only a space for visitors to entertain and enjoy, but it is also a home to over 4,000 residents . When designing a new wayfinding signage system, we focused on helping visitors find their way to their destination at the Barbican; however, we also took the resident’s opinions on Barbican’s existing function and meaning to them, incorporating its bold and iconic theme into our new design.
Design Overview
Our signage will replace the current mapping system and signs.
It will be implemented throughout the Barbican (We have mapped one route as an example).
Color tags at junctions will have arrows to avoid confusion.
Larger signs with words will replace the current ones.
Paths will guide visitors through public spaces that don't conflict with residents.
“Our solution is a well-designed, color coded, simplistic yet modern wayfinding system. The current system is confusing for guests because there aren’t enough signs around the Barbican to help new people navigate the space. We will be targeting these bare spaces that create confusion with our new clever signage.”
[Architectural Signage]
[Graphic Signage]
[Graphic Signage, Billboards]
[Graphic Signage]
Branding / Graphic Design
With the new way finding, our team thought it was important to integrate technology and update the existing way finding systems such as booklets, maps, and physical signages around the Barbican.
Redesigned Barbican Booklet with Maps
Barbican Floor Signage
Redesigned Barbican Guide Map
General Barbican Signage
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