The Barbican Estate is a residential complex built during the 1960's and 1970's in Central London, in an area that was heavily damaged by bombings during World War 2. It is an example of a development with Brutalist Architecture and despite being a relatively new development in its entirety it is Grade II listed hence protected.
I won't go on too much about the facts and figures of the Barbican Estate, rather just letting it's own website and Wikipedia do all of that. Although we do go round London often enough as 'tourists' (both our careers are London based) I haven't been to this part of London before so with a nudge to Gaz we paid the complex a visit one fine Saturday.
My motivation to see it? Curiosity to check out its Brutalist Architecture as well as it's supposed to be integrated green spaces and bodies of watering including a koi pond.
Well I'm not too sure about the koi pond, I didn't see it but perhaps we just missed it but the green spaces are there as well as the large bodies of water...
They even have a conservatory but alas only open on Sundays and Bank Holidays. From outside it looked interesting enough to warrant a need for a return visit when it is open.
So is the Barbican Estate beautiful? Ahh yes I suppose. I say that with an objective tone. Subjectively, I'm not too sure but it is certainly a very interesting place to spend time in.
Mark :-)
This gardening blog follows our journey as we create our Tropical and Exotic themed garden. We hope you'll enjoy the journey as much as we do. We started our Exotic Garden in 2005 and this site will show its development, as well as our travels, both abroad and within the UK to gardens, nurseries and friends.
Looking at your photos, that was my reaction too. It's interesting and certainly impressive in scale but not somewhere I'd feel compelled to go back to time and again.
ReplyDeleteIt's a very trendy part of London, with its art scene and all but it still gets mixed reactions up to now architectural beauty wise.
DeleteLooks very much worth a visit, although I'm not sure I'd want to live there.
ReplyDeleteIt looks congested but was surprisingly very tranquil when we visited, the residential sections at least.
DeleteWe visited the Barbican on the occasion of London Open gardens this year. Some of the plantings made clever use of native plants. One might even say unnatural growing of native plants.
ReplyDeleteIndeed. The place is surprisingly green despite being so built up and elevated.
DeleteI suspect there are two sides. I've heard that people who actually live there love it - or at least it's rare for a flat to become available. However, I've never been there when there wasn't a vicious wind sweeping round the corners, a result of the architecture, I think, and there never seems to be a direct route anywhere, which is infuriating. It's not an environment that is particularly pleasant to be around, I feel, though possibly much more acceptable to be inside it.
ReplyDeleteSo desirable are the properties there, but then again it is Central London...
DeleteI've always intended to visit- but never had a chance. Thanks for sharing the photos which give a good impression of what it's like. It's so different from anything I know.
ReplyDeleteSomewhere I've actually been! It certainly looks better than it did on my visit. I don't remember any plants at all, just the wind whipping around the buildings, and whip it did.
ReplyDeleteI like that island garden with the sunken seating areas. I have been meaning to see the conservatory for a while; hopefully the next time I am in London I have a free Sunday.
ReplyDeleteReminds me of some of the buildings on my university campus. So dreary and depressing. They didn't have the water or green spaces, though. It would have been a vast improvement.
ReplyDeleteI had never heard of Brutalist architecture. It sounds rather severe and grim. I was happy to see all the lovely green spaces and water features!
ReplyDeleteOoh, a little trip back down memory lane for me, there! I was last in the Barbican a long time ago on a beautiful sunny summer's day, with good friends, and absolutely loved it. I'd been to see the Issey Miyake exhibition (which was wonderful) and then stayed on for a wander round. I've always thought it would be a wonderful place to live so it's been lovely to revisit via your photos -and I really should go there again for real!
ReplyDeleteThey did a lot of good work to mitigate the effect of packing people in like sardines.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Loree, it's an interesting place to visit but living there would not be my cup of tea. Looking forward to seeing the conservatory.
ReplyDeleteI'm fascinated by Brutalist architecture. I can't say I love it, but it has a severe charm all its own. The plantings definitely add interest. If I had plans to visit London, I'd add the Barbican Estate to my list of places to see.
ReplyDeleteCall me weird, but I really like the Barbican, it is so brutal it somehow works, and all those green spaces work so well against the hard shapes. I've never explored as much as you guys did, there are some really big green spaces!
ReplyDeleteI enjoy the sculptural articulation of Brutalist architecture as seen from a distance, but I also was taken by how much of their plazas (like so many modernist complexes) seemed devoid of people. I was happy to see your overall shots, which proved that impression wrong. It would be very fun to visit, but I also think Gerhard nailed it when he said "severe charm".
ReplyDeleteGot to say I've always been rather fond of the Barbican and used to visit often when I lived in London.
ReplyDeleteWe have a few examples of Brutalist architecture in Washington, DC. One of the most notable was a church (!), just a few blocks from the White House, whose congregation wanted to tear it down for years. The building was interesting, but not exactly beautiful. They finally jumped through all the historic preservation hoops and now it's gone. Ironically, what went up in its place was a bland, uninteresting, and uninspired office building like so many others in this city.
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