The Barbican is launching a new furniture collection inspired by its Brutalist origins

an image from the Barbican x MADE furniture collection showing two chairs in a scandi style flat — (Image credit: Barbican / MADE)

If there’s one thing the Barbican knows how to do, it’s franchise – only the other day it announced it was giving away free cuttings from its famous Greenhouse, plus its summer cinema is in full swing. Now, like hundreds of nepo children without any career plan but a vague bit of residual influence, the Barbican is commencing an artsy side hustle, and dabbling in furniture.

Specifically, the Barbican is releasing a furniture range all inspired by its iconic brutalist architecture. So if you’re really London mad it’s the perfect time to be in the market for a new sofa which has a more local touch than IKEA. The range will cover furniture, lighting, and accessories, bringing the best of the Brutalist building into your own London pad.

an image of the Barbican X MADE furniture collection

The Barbican has teamed up with furniture brand MADE to create the range, a full interior collection which blends the building’s architecture, history and influence. For those of you who don’t know, back in the 1960s the Barbican had show flats designed by Mariam Howitt. And yes, that means the interiors really lived up to the 60s stereotype of geometric shapes, swirly patterns, retro colours – a glorious Austin-Powers-esque technicolour which seems great until you’ve got a raging hangover. Apparently, some of the new range has taken inspiration from these original lewks, bringing a bit of 60s flair into modern day minimalism.

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Barbican X MADE furniture collection showing a burgundy-maroon sofa with textured covers inside a scandi style flat

For something doused in London history from an architectural icon, it’s not actually too pricey. It’s no Facebook Marketplace, but a curve table lamp will set you back £50, there's a rug for £100 and pricier options for bigger statement pieces. You’ll be able to browse coffee tables, sofas, chests of draws, even shelving as well as smaller soft furnishings like cushions and the aforementioned rug.

View of the world famous Barbican Centre, in the City of London on October 22, 2017. The Barbican Estate is a brutalist architecture residential estate built during the 1960s and the 1970s within the City of London in Central London, in an area once devastated by World War II bombings and today densely populated by financial institutions. It also hosts a conservatory which contains several plants, and a luxury tea room

The collection will be available to shop (or at least whatever the website equivalent of window shopping) is from 17th August, both from the Barbican’s online store, in person (at Barbican Centre’s Level G Hub Space) and via MADE’s website. You’ll be able to read more about how each piece has been inspired by a different part of the building, from the old Hall’s tubular acoustic panels to the 1960s flats.

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Hermione Blandford is the Content Editor for Shortlist’s social media which means you can usually find her scrolling through Instagram and calling it work, or stopping random people in the street and accosting them with a mini mic. She has previously worked in food and drink PR for brands including Johnnie Walker, Tanqueray, Gordon's, The Singleton, Lagavulin and Don Julio which means she is a self confessed expert in spicy margaritas and pints, regularly popping into the pub in the name of research.