What do you get when you mix a utopian vision, a position in the heart of London, and thousands of tons of concrete? The answer is the brutal beauty of the Barbican Estate. Home to theatres, cinema, art galleries and about 4000 residents, I took a fascinating tour to discover some of the stories and intriguing details about this huge site.
Located near St Paul’s in the heart of the City of London, the Barbican Estate stands in harsh architectural contrast to Sir Christopher Wren’s masterpiece, and many other more classic architectural beauties nearby. Its brown and grey concrete tower blocks dominate the skyline, where they are now reflected also by glass skyscrapers. As I’ve hurried past, I’ve occasionally pondered how such a resolutely different (some would say ugly) development comes to life – and thanks to my friend Nat’s iniative, took one of the Barbican Centre’s walking tours one Saturday to find out.
From the moment I ventured into the true heart of the estate, I was shocked by how much was tucked away behind those solid facades bounded by busy City roads. Although I’d visited the Barbican Centre theatre before (Benedict Cumberbatch as Hamlet – incredible!), I hadn’t gone further than those double glass doors pictured above. Now I saw the central lake, the balconies with tumbling flowers and the church that I’d been missing before.
The history of the site is a rich one, as the main fort of Roman London was built nearby, and a few remnants of the wall dating from around 200AD are still visible today. The name Barbican actually comes from the Roman word for a watchtower. As an aside, if you’re at all interested in the history of London, the nearby Museum of London is absolutely brilliant – interactive, detailed and well laid out – and has a great exhibit looking down on the wall.
Part of the old wall of London, with newer buildings that were built directly on it
As London grew this area was popular thanks to its central location, first as a military base and later for residential use. However thanks to heavy bombing in World War II the entire site was virtually destroyed, and in the 1950s it was decided that it should be redeveloped. The brief was won by the architects Chamberlain, Bon and Powell, who put forward a grand utopian vision of an estate with perfect unity between residential and commercial, where pedestrians could roam freely, and form and function would unite. All was to be in the Brutalist style of concrete block that was hugely popular in Britain at the time.
I was fascinated by the contrast of hard and soft in the Barbican Estate – the concrete covered by flowers spilling out of their balcony boxes, or the straight lines of the buildings topped with gently curving domes. Although so much of it is stark, in its own way the perfect angles seem beautiful, especially with the mix of wildflowers that were in abundance. The boulevards which mean pedestrians don’t have to deal with the bustling roads that bound the estate are brilliant – it’s just a shame that they aren’t easily reached from the exterior footpaths, meaning virtually no-one other than residents uses them.
Around 4000 people live in the Barbican today, with homes ranging from apartments to the modern mews houses above, all the way to penthouses at the top of the towers which must command amazing views of London. There are playgrounds and sports courts and shops, including a hairdressers, although many of the spaces that were meant for commercial use lie empty thanks to a lack of foot-traffic.
The Conservatory is one of the showpieces of the Estate and we were lucky to get a glimpse inside, as it’s only open on Sundays ordinarily. Lush pathways lead around the warm space past tropical fish and over 2,000 different plant species.
St Giles without Cripplegate church dates from the 14th century, although the tower was added in the 17th
The huge lakes and water features that dominate the centre of the Barbican are not just beautiful to look at, but also act as insulation for the Underground running beneath the estate. They’re just one example of how much thought has been put into so many aspects of this huge site, as our hugely knowledgeable guide Emily kept elaborating.
If you’re in London, I highly recommend taking the tour, or at least the time to wander through the public spaces of the Barbican Estate for a fascinating glimpse into an unusual slice of London life.
Have you found beauty in a Brutalist sight?
Linking up for #WanderfulWednesday with Marcella, Lauren, Van and Isabel – check out their travel link-up and their fantastic blogs using the links!
