To think the Barbican Estate in London is a masterpiece?

Eastern European vibes,

Even flats now regarded as terrible were usually seen as an improvement on the slum housing they replaced in the 60s. My mum was moved as part of a slum clearance in Manchester - the privately rented bedsit she moved out of didn't even have a working toilet, she had to use a public toilet! She was delighted to be moved to a block of council flats with a fully functional bathroom, kitchen and heating - she didn't stay there long because she got married and they bought a house - so not long enough for the flats to start to decay and go bad socially.

Not everyone was happy to be moved from slums as this broke up communities but as living accommodation, when they were new and fully functioning, council flats were an improvement.

That’s true, but as I understand it the original rents were high because it was always intended to be a wealthy enclave. The fact that it’s become largely privately owned and traded hasn’t altered the demographics of its population.

Thanks for your answer

To me, it just looks like a pile of concrete with a strange maze effect - I get lost every time I have to go. It's not somewhere I would choose to go. I'm sure the inside of the flats are lovely and clearly a lot has changed - it probably seemed like a good thing in the 60s

I wouldn't feel safe there at all

There are loads of amenities underneath or next door to the Barbican although I agree sometimes it can feel like you are cocooned off from it all

Golden Lane pool and leisure centre
Private gym (Nuffield)
Silk street public library
State primary school
Private secondary
Two nurseries (one of which is bilingual Chinese but mostly British/European kids)
A drop in playgroup
A very active residents association
NHS GP surgery
Dentist
Optician
Waitrose on Whitecross Street
Everything on Whitecross Street - the food market, pubs, cafes, restaurants etc.
The shops under Golden Lane flats including hardware store etc.

And of course the world class theatre, cinema, exhibition and concert space

It was built, owned and operated by the local authority, the City of London. As such, it was subject to Right to Buy, and the vast majority of flats are now in private ownership.

No, that's not accurate - while the flats were always rented at commercial rates rather than council housing rates; it was council owned, therefore RTB applied and had a high uptake.

Wouldn’t like to live there as the City is dead on the weekend once all the office workers go home. The colours are dark and depressing, and all the different levels/walkways make no sense. I hate Brutalism though, find it pretentious and inhuman.

I disagree with you OP. I dislike brutalist architecture. Though I would acknowledge it as the least worst of its kind.

It's a private estate.
Right to Buy wouldn't have applied.

I am fascinated by brutalism and would love a proper walk round the Barbican. I've been to the former Museum of London but didn't have time for a proper look round the area. I had to laugh at my struggle to find my way into the MOL - such a common feature of brutalism, to separate pedestrians and road users rather too well!

I must admit my real fascination lies in brutalism done badly - which, obviously, the Barbican is not - all those decaying system-built monstrosities - I can look at those for hours.

I'd love to do the Barbican tour but I live at the other end of the country and it's expensive to go to London!

I think it's cool but creepy. It's not a very good use of public space. There's only one green bit and it's private. Like when you're there in the midst of it you feel like there are no amenities anywhere near. Unless you want to go to the theatre.

There's that fountain pond thing but the rest is just podiums and walkways with nothing but the bottom part of blocks of flats. I always get lost as well.

I guess maybe it's not a public space at all. The tropical conservatory thing is quite cool but it's hardly ever open. But I do love it's distinctive look and feel. Even though you do feel kind of 'othered' by being there. Like you're out of place as you don't live there?

I like the way some Brutalist architecture looks and I think its history in the UK is fascinating, but I'd never say that I love that type of architecture because the majority of housing that has been built in that style in the UK is very poor quality. People on this thread have talked about the lack of maintenance leading to some Brutalist developments becoming slum-like but actually the materials and building techniques commonly used simply aren't suitable for our climate so these developments were doomed to fail. For example, the unpainted, raw concrete known as Breton Brut is porous and soaks up rain and moisture and in the UK climate it does not dry out quickly leading to the growth of lichen, moss and mould. Lack of insulation and masses of cold concrete also allows condensation to form inside, leading to more mould. And a focus on aesethics over practicalities often mean that things like proper drainage were overlooked and flat roofs were popular. The style was influenced by the work of Le Corbusier in the south of France, where the climate was much more forgiving of flat roofs and porous concrete. In the UK much of our residential Brutalist buildings have been torn down after a relatively short period because they were unliveable, so it's good to hear that the Barbican is a thriving place to live that is seen as desirable by many. I wonder if that's because the climate is more suitable in London than elsewhere in the UK or if something was different about the building materials? Does anyone here know?

Not really. It's hideous and mostly owned by people who paid a pittance for their now million pound flat due to that ridiculous Right to Buy scheme, and no doubt rent them out for extortionate amounts.

If I won the lottery I’d buy a flat there in a heartbeat.

I think it's magnificent, I studied at GSMD in the early 80's so spent a lot of time there. If I came into a vast sum of money (unlikely) I think I would give serious consideration to moving there.

In the late 90s I worked nearby and almost bought a large studio there (Bryer Court), love the place. I ended up buying a total dud flat in zone 3. One of my biggest financial regrets.

Drug dealing probably happens in most areas..at least barb residents can pay top dollar for their coke!

I doubt that makes the Barbican residents feel any better! 😁

I can understand we're all different without "getting" the appeal of living in a dirty, concrete, overcrowded and polluted city.

I'm glad more people don't want to live where I do - it would be totally ruined if they did

I was just using that link as an example as PP had posted about how wonderful it was.

But you’re not ‘lucky’ to live in a village, it’s your choice. (If you are able to afford a home at all)

Anyone who can afford a flat in the Barbican could afford at least one property in your village and probably two. So it’s a choice to live there. Based on different preferences. Not misfortune.

And anyone who can afford a flat in the Barbican can afford somewhere in a quieter area/ older housing, a cute house etc. so hardly ‘shoved’ anywhere.

Apparently the practice of empty-nesters selling up and moving to the country is falling into disfavour. More and more people are retiring to the centre of town.

If we sell the suburban family home, it’ll be to move back into London. Not the bloody Barbican though.

Adjacent to this, I remember years ago getting the bus to work from the Isle of Dogs, and we’d pass a brutalist estate around Poplar that to me looked absolutely awful. I looked it up, and realised it was the Robin Hood estate. It’s since been demolished, but there was a campaign by various architects to retain it. I’m sure some residents did like living there, but I wouldn’t be surprised if many considered it an eyesore.

Well, because I don't need or want the seaside, a large house, stairs, a garage or private parking? And I like inner-city living, flats, hammered concrete, compact spaces and modern design?

All these people saying they "can't believe" someone would like what they themselves do not like. If we all liked the same sort of thing, the world would be a very difficult place!