The Barbican Centre – opened in 1982 and designed by Chamberlin, Powell and Bon – is up for a substantial renovation and the City of London Corporation has revealed the five shortlisted teams for the refurbishment of the Brutalist icon, which represents a world-renowned venue for art, music, theatre, dance and cinema. Among the names there are practices like Adjaye Associates, Asif Khan Studio, BIG and Diller Scofidio + Renfro.

The international competition – launched last year in September – aims to preserve its heritage and at the same time upgrading the ageing structure. The building, in fact, requires significant improvements in order to keep to meet the needs of contemporary artists and audiences and adapt to the evolution of the art practice. Furthermore, it’s urgent to enhance its environmental performance, as well as improving accessibility and bringing many underutilized space back to life.

The winning proposal will be announced in April of this year.