City of London puts new concert hall back in play

The City of London Corporation today voted £2.5 million towards the completion of a detailed business case for a new concert hall on the site of the Museum of London.

A spokesman said: ‘This decision re-affirms our commitment to transform the area surrounding the Barbican into a world-leading cultural hub for the arts, heritage and learning. We have a long history as a leading investor in the arts and we recognise that culture – open and available to all – is what attracts people to visit, work and live in London and the UK.’

The decision was made a day after Hamburg opened its magnificent Elbphilharmonie building.

Sir Simon Rattle has been demanding a new hall for London, but the new case for a hall will not be published before December 2018 and the ultimate cost of £400-500 million will not be easy to reach in straitened times.

The government has withdrawn from the project on the grounds that it does not represent value for money.