Barbican Complex

Description

This complex is one of the best examples of post-war Brutalist architecture in Britain. The project was devised in the 1950s as a way to reoccupy land that had been devastated by Nazi bombing during the Second World War and bring city life back to the area. Inspired by Le Corbusier’s ideas, the architects designed an entire complex that would function as a mini city built entirely around pedestrians. Designed for medium-high earning owners, the complex includes a large number of culture and education centres. At first, these helped to justify the high prices of the homes and, over time, have become key to the success of the development.Three towers with apartments give the area a high residential density, which guarantees constant activity throughout the complex network of public passages at various levels. Construction work began in the late 1950s and the Barbican was officially opened in the early 1980s. Despite being a somewhat controversial development, the Barbican represents one of the biggest success stories of this kind of development in the city, thanks to the balance achieved between private and public uses, which currently include a library, exhibition spaces, cafes, a theatre, cinema and even a greenhouse.