The Barbican Estate is one of London’s most recognizable landmarks, with its three towers among the city’s tallest residential spaces. In designing urban housing of such magnitude architects Chamberlin, Powell and Bon took on a hugely ambitious task, which took over 30 years to complete. The complex — comprising over 140 different flat and house types, outdoor spaces, gardens, and an arts centre — was post-war planning on a grand scale, and is now recognized as a world-class piece of brutalist architecture.
This book by Stefi Orazi and with photographs by Christoffer Rudqvist is a comprehensive guide to the estate and includes detailed plans for each of the flat types, along with beautiful photography of the building’s exteriors and interiors. Interviews with Barbican residents and employees, past and present, give a rare insight into how life on the estate has changed over the decades.
