The Avian Sanctuary
2086 Narrative
The Avian Sanctuary proposes a vertical ecological intervention within the Sculpture Court at Frobisher Crescent, reimagining the Barbican as a living system that supports non-human life alongside its civic and cultural use. Developed within the IITC brief, in which the Barbican is understood as a "vessel mid-journey," the project introduces a tower not as an object but as an environmental and mechanical instrument, a hybrid of architecture and habitat. The Avian provides refuge for urban bird species, insects, and plant life while encouraging human interaction.
Project
The section drawing showcases the Avian Sanctuary embedded within the Sculpture Court at Frobisher Crescent. The intervention is both an ecological infrastructure and an architectural extension of the Barbican. At its center, the Picoplanktonic Tower operates as a living filtration system, capturing CO₂ generated from the Concert Hall beneath the Sculpture Court and processing it through photosynthetic biomass. The system produces clean oxygen, which is redistributed back into the Concert Hall.
