Barbican Cross Section A3 Art Print
Last updated: 9 October 2026
The Cross Section A3 print is a £12 Barbican art print from the Barbican Shop. It reproduces a cutaway drawing of the Barbican Centre by its architects, Chamberlin, Powell and Bon, with the theatre, concert hall and conservatory drawn in one slice. It is a giclée print on art paper, 297 x 420mm, and it comes without a frame. I checked the Barbican Shop on 9 October 2026 and it was in stock at £12.
What the Barbican art print shows
The drawing is a perspective section. The building is cut open from top to bottom, and the cut face is drawn in three dimensions. So you see the inside of every level at once.
On the left, a curved residential block sits in front of a tower. Next to it is an auditorium, drawn with the audience in their seats. In the middle, the conservatory climbs under its glazed roof. The theatre's fly tower runs up the full height of the sheet, and a car sits in the car park at the bottom. Small figures walk through every level, and they show the scale of each space.
Where the image comes from
The Barbican Shop describes it as an image from its archives. The same picture is in the RIBA Collections as RIBA92181, a perspective section of the Barbican Centre credited to Chamberlin Powell & Bon. RIBA's record says it is a photograph of a drawing, taken by the architectural photographer John Maltby in 1970.
The architects were Peter Chamberlin, Geoffry Powell and Christoph Bon. Historic England's listing names Chamberlin and Bon as the architects in charge of the arts centre, which was designed in its final form in 1968 and built between 1971 and 1982. So the 1970 drawing shows the Centre before building work on it began.
Key facts
| Detail | Figure |
|---|---|
| Price | £12 |
| Size | A3, 297 x 420mm |
| Giclée, UV inks on art paper | |
| Frame | Not included |
| Edition | Open, not numbered or signed |
| Original image | RIBA92181, John Maltby, 1970 |
| Seller | Barbican Shop |
Who it suits
- Barbican fans: it shows the inside of the arts centre in a way a photograph of the outside cannot.
- Architecture students and designers: section drawings like this are how architects explain a building, and this one is detailed enough to study.
- Anyone after a cheap present: at £12 it sits in our gifts under £25 guide.
The limits
It arrives as a bare sheet, so budget for a frame. The Barbican Shop's black wooden frame in A3 costs £35, which takes the total to £47.
An A3 frame holds the print edge to edge, with no white border. If you want a mount around it, buy a larger frame and an A3 mount.
It is an open edition, so it has no number, signature or certificate. It is a decorative print rather than a collectable one.
UK delivery is only free on orders over £75. Check the delivery charge at the checkout before you pay for a £12 print on its own.
Where to buy it in the UK
The Barbican Shop sells it directly. I struggled to find another UK shop selling this exact print, so the Barbican Shop is the place to get it.
If you would rather have something printed and framed for you, our page on theprintspace covers its framing service and discount code.
Cross Section print at the Barbican Shop
FAQs
How much is the Barbican Cross Section art print?
£12 for the A3 print without a frame. The Barbican Shop had it in stock at that price on 9 October 2026.
Does the Barbican art print come framed?
No. The Barbican Shop sells a black wooden A3 frame separately for £35.
What size is it?
A3, which is 297 x 420mm, so standard A3 frames fit it.
Who designed the Barbican?
Chamberlin, Powell and Bon. Historic England names Peter Chamberlin and Christoph Bon as the architects in charge of the arts centre.
Is it a limited edition?
No. It is an open edition giclée print with no number or signature.
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- Howard Hodgkin Indian Leaves print: a gallery print by a named artist, if you want colour rather than concrete.
- Gifts for designers: more presents for people who notice how things are made.
- Penpot: the free, open-source design tool that runs in a browser.
Prices and stock change, so check the Barbican Shop before you order.
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