Futurecity was appointed by the City of London Corporation to devise a visionary Public Art Strategy for the Barbican Podium’s Phase 2 refurbishment. Working closely with the Culture Mile, Barbican Renewal, and local stakeholders, the strategy responds to the site’s unique character - where brutalist architecture, cultural ambition, and urban ecology converge in one of London’s largest pedestrian-only landscapes.

The strategy applies “Viewpoints” as a curatorial principle, treating the podium as a stage for public performance and storytelling. It introduces a multi-layered public art programme with landmark commissions, temporary installations, and design collaborations embedded into the evolving landscape. The plan celebrates the Barbican’s legacy, connecting the arts centre’s interior programming with the outside realm - “taking the inside out.”

Projects include a landscaped artwork trail, a reimagined habitat for the iconic dolphin sculpture, and a new commission marking the entrance to the Barbican Conservatory. The strategy supports inclusive access, climate resilience, and artistic excellence, ensuring that public art enhances wayfinding, biodiversity, and civic identity.

Now entering delivery, the programme will serve as a blueprint for future art commissioning across the Culture Mile, setting a precedent for how public art can shape an inclusive and engaging City public realm.