Architects: Chamberlin, Powell and Bon Architects
Area: 160000 m²
Year: 1976
Photographs: Joas Souza
City: London
Country: United Kingdom
The Barbican Estate, a residential and cultural complex in London designed by Chamberlin, Powell and Bon, transformed a 35-acre bombed site into a high-density Brutalist development completed in 1976. Commissioned by the City of London Corporation to counter population decline, the project was inspired by Le Corbusier’s Unité d’Habitation and Italian urbanism. It features three residential towers—Cromwell, Lauderdale, and Shakespeare—alongside terrace blocks, mews houses, and townhouses, all linked by a pedestrianized podium and highwalks that separate foot traffic from roads below. Engineered by Ove Arup & Partners, innovations include vibration-reducing bearings for the Underground and pre-cast concrete frames supporting triangular tower layouts with panoramic views. Textured concrete and cantilevered balconies reduce wind resistance while enhancing functionality. Italian influences appear in the Venetian-style circulation system and barrel-vaulted penthouses. Landscaped gardens, lakes, and practical design details, like direct lift access and Garchey sinks, add livability. Despite early criticism, the Barbican has become a symbol of British post-war architecture, achieving Grade II listed status in 2001 amid renewed appreciation for Brutalism.
On December 29, 1940, during the height of the Second World War, a Luftwaffe air raid completely destroyed a 35-acre site in the heart of the City of London. The site, known as the Barbican—a Middle English word meaning fortification—was named for the Roman wall that once stood in the area. After the war, the City of London Corporation, the municipal governing body for the area, began exploring possibilities to redevelop the historic site and integrate it into the twentieth century.
The Barbican’s location in London’s financial center made it appealing to commercial developers, leading to several proposed office schemes. However, these proposals were rejected by the City of London Corporation, partly due to the area’s declining population. The commercialization of the area had caused the number of residents to drop dramatically, from 100,000 in 1851 to just over 5,000 in 1951.[1] With such a small electorate, the City of London faced the risk of losing its Member of Parliament (MP) and, consequently, its political influence. In 1955, a housing scheme proposed by Chamberlin, Powell and Bon presented an opportunity to reverse the population decline by attracting new residents into the area.
Since 1948, Peter Chamberlin (born in London) and Geoffry Powell (born in Bangalore, India) had been teaching colleagues at London’s Kingston School of Art. In 1950, they were joined by Christof Bon (born in St. Gall, Switzerland). Their architectural partnership officially began two years later when Powell won a competition to design the Golden Lane Estate, a large-scale residential project also commissioned by the City of London Corporation. The design of this earlier scheme, situated just north of the proposed Barbican site, laid the groundwork for their more ambitious neighboring project.
While the selection of Chamberlin, Powell and Bon’s housing scheme improved the City of London Corporation’s chances of maintaining its parliamentary representation, it generated significantly less revenue than a commercial development would have. To ensure the scheme’s financial viability and maximize rental income, the architects proposed a high-density development targeting mid-to-high-income earners.[2] The complex was conceived as an urban microcosm, with residential blocks organized around communal spaces—an approach influenced by Le Corbusier’s work. His recently completed Unité d’Habitation housing project in Marseilles, embodying the concept of a ‘vertical garden city,’ is clearly reflected in the designs of both the Golden Lane Estate and the Barbican.
In addition to “luxury” housing, Chamberlin, Powell and Bon’s masterplan for the Barbican included cultural facilities such as a concert hall and theater, a shopping mall, underground parking, private gardens, and lakes with fountains and a waterfall. The extensive range of amenities was intended to attract the target market and justify the higher cost of the housing. The Guildhall School of Music and the City of London School for Girls were also relocated to new premises within the site, fostering a sense of community within the complex. St. Giles Church, one of the few structures to survive the 1940 bombings, was positioned at the center of the estate.
The residential blocks of the Barbican Estate collectively represent one of the most significant examples of Brutalist architecture in the world. The term Brutalism originates from the French béton brut, meaning raw or unfinished concrete. At the Barbican Estate, while the concrete was left exposed, it was not unfinished; it was carefully pick-hammered to create a rough, rusticated texture that conveys a sense of monumentality.
The Barbican Estate consists of three tower blocks, thirteen terrace blocks, two “mews” (terraces of small two-story houses), and a row of townhouses. The tower blocks dominate the skyline, with facades featuring a grid pattern of concrete paneling. The continuous vertical lines of the grid break the horizontal elements, emphasizing the height of the towers. In contrast, the terrace blocks are oriented horizontally, creating a dynamic visual balance with the verticality of the towers. In both the tower and terrace blocks, the apartment layouts were designed to maximize natural light in the rooms that benefit most from it. Bedrooms, dining rooms, and living rooms are placed along external walls, while kitchens and bathrooms are positioned against inner walls.
The residential blocks are connected by two systems of pedestrian circulation: the highwalk and the podium. The highwalk, a network of bridges and narrow walkways, surrounds the estate. The podium, a raised platform, establishes a new ‘ground level’ within the estate’s boundaries. This design feature ensures the Barbican remains entirely pedestrianized, with road and rail traffic directed below, keeping it out of sight and sound.
All three tower blocks and most of the terrace blocks are elevated above the podium on the piloti, allowing pedestrians to move freely through the estate without obstruction. One of the most striking examples of this design is found beneath Gilbert House, a terrace block that spans the lake bisecting the podium. The height of the columns beneath the structure is sufficient to accommodate the highwalk, which passes below and is integrated into the supporting colonnade. The podium creates a sense of openness and airiness, while the highwalk promotes movement and exploration. Together, they generate a continuous flow of open space throughout the estate.
While developing the design for the Barbican, Chamberlin, Powell and Bon traveled extensively to seek architectural inspiration, with a particular focus on Italy. Bon, having spent part of his earlier career working in Milan, shared a deep fascination with Italian architecture alongside his colleagues. This influence is clearly reflected in the estate; for instance, the penthouses of the terrace blocks feature barrel-vaulted roofs, a form widely used in Roman architecture. The architects also drew inspiration from the canals, bridges, and pavements of Venice as a model for the Barbican’s pedestrian systems. They described Venice as “the best example of a city where foot and service traffic is completely segregated,” noting that this principle “has worked admirably for many centuries and there is no good reason why it should not be applied equally effectively in the City of London.”[3]
The lake and gardens offer residents generous communal outdoor spaces, a rare feature in the densely built-up area of London. These landscaped areas are situated below the level of the podium, with the varying elevations adding visual interest and creating a sense of seclusion. To prevent disturbances from the underground line running beneath the gardens, Ove Arup developed an engineering solution to minimize vibrations caused by passing trains. The tracks were mounted on rubber bearings, making this the only section of the London Underground network to be modified in such a way.
Chamberlin, Powell and Bon’s original plans included five tower blocks, each twenty stories high. However, the planning authority rejected these designs, citing insufficient outdoor space as the primary concern.[4] In response, the architects reduced the number of tower blocks to three, minimizing the buildings’ footprints while more than doubling their height to preserve housing density.
Cromwell Tower rises to forty-three stories, while Lauderdale Tower and Shakespeare Tower stand at forty-four stories, making them the tallest residential towers in Europe at the time.[5] The architects devised innovative solutions to address the challenges of living in buildings of this height. For example, “each lift is designed with a secondary small panel door which provides direct access between the lift and a tenant’s service cupboard,” allowing daily deliveries of milk, newspapers, and post to reach individual flats without requiring the milkman or postman to leave the lift.[6] Similar attention to detail extended to fixtures and fittings, with windows designed to pivot horizontally for easy cleaning from the inside and the installation of Garchey sink units across most residential blocks to simplify waste disposal.[7]
With their significant height and complex programmatic requirements, the Barbican towers required specialized engineering, which was provided by Ove Arup & Partners. The towers employ pre-cast reinforced concrete elements for their frames, placing most of the structural load on the exterior, “on the same principle as is familiar in a chimney.”[8] Roughly triangular in plan, each floor contains three apartments arranged around a central core housing lift shafts, stairwells, and service risers. Living rooms are positioned at each corner of the triangle, where the meeting of two walls provides panoramic views.
The towers’ distinctive cantilevered balconies, with their elegantly curved tips, are reminiscent of a ship’s hull. Beyond their aesthetic appeal, the balconies serve a practical purpose: their unique design reduces wind resistance and alleviates strain on the structural frame. The long protrusions, a feature recommended by the engineers, create deep eaves that provide shade and shelter for the apartments below.[9] These eaves offer protection from the elements and, as the architects noted, provide residents with a sense of security, particularly for those who “might otherwise dislike the impression of living on the edge of a cliff.”[10]
Fragments of the ancient Roman wall and a 13th-century bastion survive within the Barbican Estate, where history and modernity intersect. The weathered bricks of these historical ruins stand in contrast to the grey concrete of the monumental structures above. Further references to the site’s history are reflected in the naming of the residential blocks after prominent local figures. Shakespeare Tower, for example, is named in honor of the great playwright, who once lived in the area.
The construction of the Barbican Estate spanned thirteen years, concluding in 1976 with the completion of Shakespeare Tower. While critics have described the estate’s layout as disorientating and cluttered, this cannot be entirely attributed to the original design. In 1964, the City of London Corporation issued a revised brief to Chamberlin, Powell and Bon, requiring an expanded theater and concert hall. This led to the creation of the Barbican Centre, a structure that had to be incorporated into the master plan after construction was already underway.
As Brutalism emerged as the dominant architectural style for new housing estates in Britain during the 1970s, the Barbican’s reputation was affected by its association with less successful projects, such as the Hulme Crescents in Manchester. In recent years, however, the estate has experienced renewed public appreciation as interest in Modernist and Brutalist architecture has grown. Recognized for its architectural significance, the Barbican received Grade II listed status from the British government in 2001, and its apartments have since become highly sought after.
Residents frequently praise the excellent quality of life offered by the Barbican Estate. Architecture critic Jonathan Glancey, who lived there for four years, remarked that “there is nothing like [it] in scale, intelligence, ingenuity, quality, urban landscaping, and sheer abstract artistry anywhere else in Britain, perhaps even the world.”[11] Alongside landmarks such as the Royal National Theatre in London and the Park Hill Estate in Sheffield, the Barbican Estate has become an enduring symbol of British post-war architecture.
References
[1] Harwood, Elain. Space, Hope and Brutalism: English Architecture, 1945-1975. London: Yale University Press, 2015. p.73[2] Harwood, Elain. Chamberlin, Powell and Bon: The Barbican and Beyond. London: RIBA Publishing, 2011. p.103
[3] Chamberlin, Powell and Bon Architects. “Proposals” In Barbican Redevelopment 1959. London: City of London Corporation, 1959. p.5
[4] Ibid. Harwood. Chamberlin, Powell and Bon. p.108
[5] Orazi, Stefi. Modernist Estates: the buildings and the people who live in them today. London: Frances Lincoln, 2015. p.109
[6] Ibid. Chamberlin, Powell and Bon Architects. p.15
[7] Ibid. Harwood. Chamberlin, Powell and Bon. p.118
[8] Ibid. Chamberlin, Powell and Bon Architects. “Technical Section”. p.6
[9] Ibid. Harwood. Space, Hope and Brutalism. p.74
[10] Ibid. Chamberlin, Powell and Bon Architects. “Proposals”. p.15
[11] Glancey, Jonathan. “Barbican: the critics’ verdict”. Time Out, 6 February, 2007.
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Project Location
Address: Barbican Estate, Barbican, London, EC2Y 9BH, United Kingdom
Location is for general reference and may represent a city or country, not necessarily a precise address.
