The City of London Corporation has gone out to tender with a contract for Barbican Podium waterproofing, drainage and landscaping works worth up to an estimated £28.5 million in total.

Photo courtesy Arpingstone wikimedia: Barbican central public court and flats

The City of London Corporation is inviting interested suppliers totenders for the provision of surface refurbishment, replacement of waterproofing membrane and remedial works to drainage infrastructure, and landscaping works to Barbican Podium Phase 2, 1st Priority Zone.

A further zone may be added to the project at the client’s discretion with works of a similar nature and a potential additional contract value up to and in the region of £10,000,000.

The Barbican Estate is grade 2 listed with a multitude of uses including an arts centre, 2014 dwellings, exhibition halls, cinemas, restaurants theatres, gallery space and a large conservatory. The Barbican Estate was designed and constructed in the 1960s and 1970s by architects Chamberlin, Powell and Bon.

The publicly accessible podium provides a pedestrian only elevated walkway connecting the residential towers, terraces and the Barbican Centre. The existing podium is predominantly made up of brick tiles with areas of defined planting set within the podium. The existing podium deck and waterproofing membrane has become damaged and is leaking into the buildings below including the Exhibition Halls.

As the owner and manager of the estate, the City of London is currently undertaking a largescale refurbishment of the podium deck. Phase 1 of the refurbishment was completed in 2015, this project will focus on Phase 2; a 18,344sqm area along the northern portion of the estate.

Several more phases are expected to be required in order to repair other parts of the podium. An initial feasibility study was undertaken which included:

• the drainage system;

• damage to the waterproofing;

• shallow crossfalls;

• detailing of the expansion joints.

The podium deck needs be taken up to replace and repair the damaged waterproofing membrane. Works were completed on phase 1 in 2015.

The duration of the contract is anticipated to be 2 years, with a further potential to extend by up to 1 year.

Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate is 13 November 2024 – click here to access the tender documentation,