Barbican Conservatory
a secret jungle in the brutalism
A secret tropical jungle hidden inside the concrete of the Barbican. Over fifteen hundred plants under glass, free to visit, if you catch one of the limited open days.
Free to visit · City of London · Barbican · EC2Y 8DS
Opening: Select days only · usually a timed slot · check before you go
The Barbican is all raw concrete and hard edges, which is exactly why the conservatory hidden inside it is such a shock. Tucked above the theatre's fly tower is the second largest conservatory in London, a humid glasshouse packed with more than fifteen hundred species of tropical plants and trees. It is free, and most Londoners have no idea it exists.
Inside, the paths wind up and over walkways through palms, ferns and creepers, past ponds of koi and terrapins and a separate arid house full of cacti. The contrast is the magic, brutalist concrete softened by jungle, with the grey towers of the estate framed through the leaves and the glass.
The catch is access. It is only open on selected days, often with a free timed slot you need to grab in advance, so it takes a tiny bit of planning rather than just turning up. Get it right and you have one of the most photogenic free hours in the city, with hardly anyone in it.
Getting there: A short walk from Barbican or Moorgate, then follow the yellow line through the estate up to level three.
Best time to go: Book the first slot of an open day. Check the Barbican website for which days it is open, because it is genuinely limited and sells out.
Insider tip: Check the open days and book the earliest slot you can. The light through the glass is best in the morning and the space is quietest then. Pair it with a wander round the rest of the Barbican estate, which is a free architectural icon in its own right.
Official site: https://www.barbican.org.uk
Free things to do in London · London Free Guide