Barbican revamp to give ‘bewildering’ arts centre a new lease of life

Project will make the famously confusing London landmark easier to navigate and more accessible

Everything leaks," says Philippa Simpson, the director of buildings and renewal at the Barbican, who is standing outside the venue's lakeside area and inspecting the tired-looking tiles beneath her feet.

Water seeps through the cracks into the building below and serves as a reminder of the job facing Simpson and the team who are overhauling the 43-year-old landmark.