{"id":2942,"date":"2016-11-04T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-11-04T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/architizer.wpengine.com\/barbican-estate\/"},"modified":"2022-05-31T08:05:25","modified_gmt":"2022-05-31T12:05:25","slug":"barbican-estate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/architizer.com\/blog\/inspiration\/stories\/barbican-estate\/","title":{"rendered":"Brutalist Utopia: The Barbican Estate Lives On as an Iconic Londonian Complex"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>An iconic element of <a href=\"http:\/\/architizer.com\/feed\/q\/q:brutalist\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">brutalist architecture<\/a> in <a href=\"http:\/\/architizer.com\/projects\/q\/location_auto:London,+United+Kingdom\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">London<\/a>, the Barbican Estate stemmed from reconstruction efforts following World War II. While its relevance and use have been transformed over time \u2014 rendering it one of London\u2019s most sought-after residential developments \u2014 it remains a fascinating architectural site, full of intricacies and symbolism.<\/p>\n<p>In the following video, Cathy Ross \u2014 the Museum of London\u2019s Director of Collections and Learning \u2014 walks through the history, vision and stunning architecture of the Barbican Estate to paint a picture of what the development continues to represent in the Londonian landscape.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"713\" height=\"401\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/JLgkDCoH14g\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><i>Viewing on mobile? Click <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JLgkDCoH14g\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>The Barbican Estate was designed in the 1950s by a young firm formed by architects Chamberlin, Powell and Bon. Determined to build Europe\u2019s tallest residential blocks and adopt models of modern city living within the estate, the architects\u2019 master plan incorporated elements of advancement and solidity that distinguished it from existing European architecture. As enthusiasts of the modern style, the architects employed brutalism as a symbol for London\u2019s revival after years of horror and global destruction. Construction lasted through the following two decades, before the complex was officially opened in 1982.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\n\t<img class=\"lazy\"\n\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/themes\/architizer\/assets\/images\/blank.png\"\n\t\tdata-src=\"https:\/\/architizer-prod.imgix.net\/media\/1478027296729Screen_Shot_2016-11-01_at_3.05.15_PM.png?fit=max&#038;w=1680&#038;q=60&#038;auto=format&#038;auto=compress&#038;cs=strip\"\n\t\t\t\t\tdata-srcset=\"https:\/\/architizer-prod.imgix.net\/media\/1478027296729Screen_Shot_2016-11-01_at_3.05.15_PM.png?fit=max&amp;w=1680&amp;q=60&amp;auto=format&amp;auto=compress&amp;cs=strip 1680w,https:\/\/architizer-prod.imgix.net\/media\/1478027296729Screen_Shot_2016-11-01_at_3.05.15_PM.png?fit=max&amp;w=1080&amp;q=60&amp;auto=format&amp;auto=compress&amp;cs=strip 1080w,https:\/\/architizer-prod.imgix.net\/media\/1478027296729Screen_Shot_2016-11-01_at_3.05.15_PM.png?fit=max&amp;w=760&amp;q=60&amp;auto=format&amp;auto=compress&amp;cs=strip 760w,https:\/\/architizer-prod.imgix.net\/media\/1478027296729Screen_Shot_2016-11-01_at_3.05.15_PM.png?fit=max&amp;w=625&amp;q=60&amp;auto=format&amp;auto=compress&amp;cs=strip 625w,https:\/\/architizer-prod.imgix.net\/media\/1478027296729Screen_Shot_2016-11-01_at_3.05.15_PM.png?fit=max&amp;w=368&amp;q=60&amp;auto=format&amp;auto=compress&amp;cs=strip 368w\"\n\t\t\tsizes=\"(min-width: 1680px) 1680px,(min-width: 1080px) 1080px,(min-width: 760px) 760px,(min-width: 625px) 625px,368px\"\n\t\t\t\talt=\"\"\n\t\titemprop=\"contentUrl\"\n\t>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>\u201cAt the end of the war, the [London] Corporation had to decide exactly how to rebuild this particular bit of the city,\u201d begins Ross. \u201cThis was going to be a visible symbol of how London could really rise again after the destruction of the old city; it was a vision of the new city quarter.\u201d The Barbican Estate was not built as a social housing project, but rather as a solution to repopulating the City of London after the war. The common misconception may originate from the fact that the architects had gained recognition earlier in 1951 for designing the nearby Golden Lane Estate, a major council housing project on the northern edge of the city.<\/p>\n<p>To embody the vision of a futuristic city, Chamberlin, Powell and Bon looked to modern city planning. \u201cOne of the big [elements] was that you separate pedestrians and cars,\u201d explains Ross. \u201cSo pedestrians were to walk along these raised walkways \u2014 sort of in the air \u2014 and the cars were very much on the ground.\u201d But it is particularly at the scale of architectural aesthetic that the Barbican continues to stand out as a lasting exemplar of solid, brutalist architecture. Even today, among all the glass and <a href=\"http:\/\/architizer.com\/blog\/the-7-ages-of-modern-concrete\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">concrete<\/a> that creeps around the Estate, the Barbican retains a strong, grounded identity.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\n\t<img class=\"lazy\"\n\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/themes\/architizer\/assets\/images\/blank.png\"\n\t\tdata-src=\"https:\/\/architizer-prod.imgix.net\/media\/1478027296725Screen_Shot_2016-11-01_at_3.06.54_PM.png?fit=max&#038;w=1680&#038;q=60&#038;auto=format&#038;auto=compress&#038;cs=strip\"\n\t\t\t\t\tdata-srcset=\"https:\/\/architizer-prod.imgix.net\/media\/1478027296725Screen_Shot_2016-11-01_at_3.06.54_PM.png?fit=max&amp;w=1680&amp;q=60&amp;auto=format&amp;auto=compress&amp;cs=strip 1680w,https:\/\/architizer-prod.imgix.net\/media\/1478027296725Screen_Shot_2016-11-01_at_3.06.54_PM.png?fit=max&amp;w=1080&amp;q=60&amp;auto=format&amp;auto=compress&amp;cs=strip 1080w,https:\/\/architizer-prod.imgix.net\/media\/1478027296725Screen_Shot_2016-11-01_at_3.06.54_PM.png?fit=max&amp;w=760&amp;q=60&amp;auto=format&amp;auto=compress&amp;cs=strip 760w,https:\/\/architizer-prod.imgix.net\/media\/1478027296725Screen_Shot_2016-11-01_at_3.06.54_PM.png?fit=max&amp;w=625&amp;q=60&amp;auto=format&amp;auto=compress&amp;cs=strip 625w,https:\/\/architizer-prod.imgix.net\/media\/1478027296725Screen_Shot_2016-11-01_at_3.06.54_PM.png?fit=max&amp;w=368&amp;q=60&amp;auto=format&amp;auto=compress&amp;cs=strip 368w\"\n\t\t\tsizes=\"(min-width: 1680px) 1680px,(min-width: 1080px) 1080px,(min-width: 760px) 760px,(min-width: 625px) 625px,368px\"\n\t\t\t\talt=\"\"\n\t\titemprop=\"contentUrl\"\n\t>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>Ross expresses this contrast when she talks of the crowding skyscrapers as making the Barbican look slightly old-fashioned. \u201cThe buildings look so solid, so staid, so rooted to the ground rather than connected to the skies as modern buildings are,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n<p>The development is also a haven of calm and contemplation in London\u2019s bustling center. \u201cIt\u2019s got lovely greenery, lovely sorts of gardens,\u201d says Ross. \u201cThere\u2019s water, lakes \u2014 which you could say are sort of like village ponds \u2014 and a lot of wildlife around, and although it is a massive estate and it is about the future, it\u2019s also got a lot of resonance with the past.\u201d A slice of history within the great and constantly shifting London, the Barbican Estate encloses the historic St. Giles\u2019 Cripplegate Church \u2014 of which barely a shell remained after war bombings \u2014 as well as fragments of the old London wall.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\n\t<img class=\"lazy\"\n\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/themes\/architizer\/assets\/images\/blank.png\"\n\t\tdata-src=\"https:\/\/architizer-prod.imgix.net\/media\/1478027299362Screen_Shot_2016-11-01_at_3.03.23_PM.png?fit=max&#038;w=1680&#038;q=60&#038;auto=format&#038;auto=compress&#038;cs=strip\"\n\t\t\t\t\tdata-srcset=\"https:\/\/architizer-prod.imgix.net\/media\/1478027299362Screen_Shot_2016-11-01_at_3.03.23_PM.png?fit=max&amp;w=1680&amp;q=60&amp;auto=format&amp;auto=compress&amp;cs=strip 1680w,https:\/\/architizer-prod.imgix.net\/media\/1478027299362Screen_Shot_2016-11-01_at_3.03.23_PM.png?fit=max&amp;w=1080&amp;q=60&amp;auto=format&amp;auto=compress&amp;cs=strip 1080w,https:\/\/architizer-prod.imgix.net\/media\/1478027299362Screen_Shot_2016-11-01_at_3.03.23_PM.png?fit=max&amp;w=760&amp;q=60&amp;auto=format&amp;auto=compress&amp;cs=strip 760w,https:\/\/architizer-prod.imgix.net\/media\/1478027299362Screen_Shot_2016-11-01_at_3.03.23_PM.png?fit=max&amp;w=625&amp;q=60&amp;auto=format&amp;auto=compress&amp;cs=strip 625w,https:\/\/architizer-prod.imgix.net\/media\/1478027299362Screen_Shot_2016-11-01_at_3.03.23_PM.png?fit=max&amp;w=368&amp;q=60&amp;auto=format&amp;auto=compress&amp;cs=strip 368w\"\n\t\t\tsizes=\"(min-width: 1680px) 1680px,(min-width: 1080px) 1080px,(min-width: 760px) 760px,(min-width: 625px) 625px,368px\"\n\t\t\t\talt=\"\"\n\t\titemprop=\"contentUrl\"\n\t>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>The uncompromising style of the development is one that Londonians either hate or love. Pilotis holding the apartment towers above the lakes and rounded balconies throughout the development recall a strong Corbusian influence. However, the development differs from many of <a href=\"http:\/\/architizer.com\/blog\/brutalist-london-housing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">other brutalist estates built throughout the U.K<\/a>. Its scale, utopian vision and connection to the past, which Ross mentions, all give it charm and value. <\/p>\n<p>Today, more than 4,000 residents \u2014 many of whom have paid over a million pounds to own <a href=\"http:\/\/architizer.com\/projects\/a-new-language-for-a-barbican-type-3c-tower-flat-interior\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">these properties<\/a> \u2014 live on the 40-acre complex. The Barbican Estate also consists of the Barbican Arts Centre, Museum of London, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, the City of London School for Girls and a public library, making it Europe\u2019s largest multipurpose arts venue. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\n\t<img class=\"lazy\"\n\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/themes\/architizer\/assets\/images\/blank.png\"\n\t\tdata-src=\"https:\/\/architizer-prod.imgix.net\/media\/1478027298368Screen_Shot_2016-11-01_at_3.05.47_PM.png?fit=max&#038;w=1680&#038;q=60&#038;auto=format&#038;auto=compress&#038;cs=strip\"\n\t\t\t\t\tdata-srcset=\"https:\/\/architizer-prod.imgix.net\/media\/1478027298368Screen_Shot_2016-11-01_at_3.05.47_PM.png?fit=max&amp;w=1680&amp;q=60&amp;auto=format&amp;auto=compress&amp;cs=strip 1680w,https:\/\/architizer-prod.imgix.net\/media\/1478027298368Screen_Shot_2016-11-01_at_3.05.47_PM.png?fit=max&amp;w=1080&amp;q=60&amp;auto=format&amp;auto=compress&amp;cs=strip 1080w,https:\/\/architizer-prod.imgix.net\/media\/1478027298368Screen_Shot_2016-11-01_at_3.05.47_PM.png?fit=max&amp;w=760&amp;q=60&amp;auto=format&amp;auto=compress&amp;cs=strip 760w,https:\/\/architizer-prod.imgix.net\/media\/1478027298368Screen_Shot_2016-11-01_at_3.05.47_PM.png?fit=max&amp;w=625&amp;q=60&amp;auto=format&amp;auto=compress&amp;cs=strip 625w,https:\/\/architizer-prod.imgix.net\/media\/1478027298368Screen_Shot_2016-11-01_at_3.05.47_PM.png?fit=max&amp;w=368&amp;q=60&amp;auto=format&amp;auto=compress&amp;cs=strip 368w\"\n\t\t\tsizes=\"(min-width: 1680px) 1680px,(min-width: 1080px) 1080px,(min-width: 760px) 760px,(min-width: 625px) 625px,368px\"\n\t\t\t\talt=\"\"\n\t\titemprop=\"contentUrl\"\n\t>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>It was also the inspiration behind a video game imagined by a young architect of the Bartlett School and was the setting for a music video directed by Callum Cooper in which British band Metronomy wanders through the Barbican, producing a memorable view of the building and its iconic architecture.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/104419794\" width=\"713\" height=\"401\" frameborder=\"0\" webkitallowfullscreen=\"\" mozallowfullscreen=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><i> Viewing on mobile? Click <a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/104419794\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>If you enjoyed this article, make sure to read up on more coverage of brutalist architecture, from <a href=\"http:\/\/architizer.com\/blog\/brutalism-in-ruins\/\" target=\"_blank\" helvetica=\"\" rel=\"noopener\">Rome<\/a> to <a href=\"http:\/\/architizer.com\/blog\/marcel-breuers-whitney\/\" target=\"_blank\" helvetica=\"\" rel=\"noopener\">New York City<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/architizer.com\/blog\/brutalist-london-housing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">London<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/architizer.com\/blog\/christ-and-gantenbein-swiss-national-museum\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Zurich<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/architizer.com\/blog\/marcel-breuer-central-library-in-atlanta\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Atlanta<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><i>All images from \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JLgkDCoH14g\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Barbican Estate<\/a>\u201d by the Museum of London<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An iconic element of brutalist architecture in London, the Barbican Estate stemmed from reconstruction efforts following World War II. While its relevance and use have been transformed over time \u2014 rendering it one of London\u2019s most sought-after residential developments \u2014 it remains a fascinating architectural site, full of intricacies and symbolism. In the following video,&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"architizer_featured_type":"projects","architizer_featured_image":"1818516","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,5],"tags":[],"architizer_project":[],"architizer_brand":[],"architizer_firm":[],"architizer_product":[],"class_list":["post-2942","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-inspiration","category-stories"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Brutalist Utopia: The Barbican Estate Lives On as an Iconic Londonian Complex - Architizer Journal<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/architizer.com\/blog\/inspiration\/stories\/barbican-estate\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Brutalist Utopia: The Barbican Estate Lives On as an Iconic Londonian Complex - Architizer Journal\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"An iconic element of brutalist architecture in London, the Barbican Estate stemmed from reconstruction efforts following World War II. 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In the following video,&hellip;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/architizer.com\/blog\/inspiration\/stories\/barbican-estate\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Journal\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Architizer\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-11-04T14:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-05-31T12:05:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Chlo\u0329 Vadot\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Architizer\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Architizer\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Chlo\u0329 Vadot\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/architizer.com\/blog\/inspiration\/stories\/barbican-estate\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/architizer.com\/blog\/inspiration\/stories\/barbican-estate\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Chlo\u0329 Vadot\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/architizer.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/7146570daeffdee04f13950be0624192\"},\"headline\":\"Brutalist Utopia: The Barbican Estate Lives On as an Iconic Londonian Complex\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-11-04T14:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-05-31T12:05:25+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/architizer.com\/blog\/inspiration\/stories\/barbican-estate\/\"},\"wordCount\":801,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/architizer.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"Inspiration\",\"Stories\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/architizer.com\/blog\/inspiration\/stories\/barbican-estate\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/architizer.com\/blog\/inspiration\/stories\/barbican-estate\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/architizer.com\/blog\/inspiration\/stories\/barbican-estate\/\",\"name\":\"Brutalist Utopia: The Barbican Estate Lives On as an Iconic Londonian Complex - 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