UNITED KINGDOM – London, The Barbican // Quantum of Solace (2008)

In “Quantum of Solace”, the MI6 finds a new home in the Barbican. We can’t blame the spooks: The venue lets you step out of the London rush.

Why Bond was here
In “Quantum of Solace” the MI6 slowly discovers how a criminal organisation called “Quantum” was able to subvert the intelligence service. M (Judi Dench) and Tanner (Rory Kinnear) walk into the Barbican Arts and Conference Centre and discuss intel and dead ends while James Bond (Daniel Craig) is doing fieldwork. The Barbican is supposed to be the MI6 headquarter – or a branch of it.

How you gonna get there
The Barbican Arts and Conference Centre is a wellknown institution in the London center and has its own tube station called “Barbican”. You can reach it via the lines Circle, Hammersmith and Metropolitan.
The characteristic building visible in the movie is only a small part of the Barbican and is called the Frobisher Crescent. M and Tanner walk inside the arcade below the house on the left hand side. Then they are passing the big plaza in the middle of the crescent.

Good to know
The Barbican is a huge complex with housing flats, cafés, a museum, a library and a small water park. And with the Barbican Arts and Conference Centre a venue for arts, drama and business has a home as well. You may visit the cinema or the theatre, there even have been Bond exhibitions in the past. Thus make sure to check out events in advance to pimp your Bond visit.

Unfortunately we didn’t have much time at the Barbican – we combined the visit with the nearby Smithfield Market from “Skyfall”. But sitting at the terrace to the little pond, sipping a coffee, we can imagine that the place will be quite the oasis during busy summer city times. The architectur is striking. It might feel like a stronghold in the first place. But once inside, it’s more of a safe space to keep the London rush out.

© 2023 Huntingbond (1,3), © 2008 SONY PICTURES. Danjaq LLC and United Pictures Inc. (2)