by /wood
Like most Brutalist estates, the Barbican has a bad reputation for being ugly and bleak, but we couldn't help being charmed by the inner-city residential area when we briefly wandered around on our way to the Basquiat: Boom for Real exhibition (check out our review) at the Barbican Centre back in January last year. We have since returned to explore the estate properly as part of our Brutalist project, as it is one of the largest examples of Brutalist architecture contained in one location.
reflections are brutal by tennyson /
In 1951, the council opened a competition to architects, to develop an estate for working families in the City of London, much of which was still recovering from the destruction of World War II. Among the candidates were Geoffry Powell, Peter Chamberlin and Christoph Bon, three tutors at Kingston Polytechnic, who vowed that if one would win, he would partner up with the other two for the project. Powell won the contract, and the Chamberlin, Powell and Bon firm was set up. Like many Brutalist architects, the partners were influenced by Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier. They adopted some of his design features like the use of pilotis - columns that support the upper terraces like large stilts and open plan spaces. This was used so that the buildings and communal areas didn't look cramped when creating the Golden Lane Estate.
brutal edge by / wood
After the completion and success of Golden Lane, the council employed the firm to take on the larger project of the neighbouring Barbican estate. The site had been virtually destroyed by the Blitz, with only some remnants of the Roman built London Wall still standing. The council wished to create homes aimed at middle-class families, who were not keen on returning to London life after fleeing the threats and devastation in the capital.
Within their structural design, the partners placed a strong emphasis on providing security for the residents. The layout is deliberately confusing, to deter strangers from entering with fears of getting lost within the complex maze and missing the hidden entryways. We certainly found it a challenge to navigate through the estate as we took photos. The word Barbican is derived from the Latin word for fortified outpost or gateway and the estate is built on the site of Cripplegate, one of London's primary forts. The partners certainly took inspiration from the area's origins within their aesthetic design. For one, the estate itself looks like a fortress surrounding and protecting its three staggering 42-story towers: Cromwell, Shakespeare and Lauderdale, which at the time were the tallest residential buildings in Europe. They also incorporated medieval components such as arrow slits in passages, merlons lining the walls, and the repetition of semi-circle curved motifs in windows and the roofs bear resemblance to gothic archways.
the scalloped curve by / wood
We were certainly impressed by the enormous scale, the attention to detail and were refreshed by the sheer amount of space that is so often restricted in London. Much like their Golden Lane Estate, the partners provided the residents with plenty of green space and communal hubs and facilities, with the inclusion of large ponds, fountains and roof gardens. They also added cultural amenities: an art centre, library and cinema, to promote a self-sufficient community. After more than a decade long build, the Barbican centre was opened on-site in 1982 by Queen Elizabeth II, who praised it as ‘one of the modern wonders of the world’ and is the place that non-residents inhabit a Brutalist way of life during the day. One of its most impressive features is the conservatory which is the second largest in London. A modern dystopian garden of Eden, an abandoned concrete city overtaken by countless species of plants framed by a glass gridded skyline.
barbican living by tennyson /
The Barbican estate is one of our favourite spots in London, an immaculate concrete city within a city, with unspoken rules and secret passages leading to enclosed well preserved gardens. There is a huge sense of generosity with the amount of space and communal areas, providing much needed calm and tranquillity from the busy city surrounding it.
an immaculate concrete city by tennyson /
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