To wonder if the Barbican is one of the ugliest places in London?

[leprachaun]

I lived there for a while, have friends there, and there is no doubt that it is wonderfully convenient. But am I the only one to think that it is hideously ugly, just like many other 1960s council blocks. However, now it has a Grade 2 listing - emperor's new clothes, or what?

I would be interested to know where you consider to be the ugliest and most beautiful parts of London.

yes its vile!

Horrid, what amazed me was I went to Glyndebourne and its so beautiful and yet they have built something there that looks horrid like the barbican, mind boggling

Andy, this is not a sudden interest or recent view, just the first time I have expressed it on a public forum...and listing is no guarantee of architectural quality, although it may well be of historic interest.

I love the Hoover building! I haven't seen it for years though. We used to pass it on the way to visit my nan when we were kids. Dad always pointed it out to us. What is it being used for now?

I like it, but then I'm a big fan of Brutalism

This website is one of my favourites: fuckyeahbrutalism.tumblr.com/

I give you the beautiful greenery of the Barbican, the area in front of St Giles' church (dating back to 1090), that isn't often seen.

James Morrison's song 'Get to You':

One of the lakes:
1.bp.blogspot.com/_dp5qvLW1QVA/S6zV0_A3bTI/AAAAAAAAGK4/TpO388IpGZQ/s1600/Barbican-Centre-8.jpg

farm8.staticflickr.com/7124/7542601082_7695f1105c_z.jpg

A couple's wedding photo in the conservatory;

www.thecitycollection.org/Resources/Images/370.jpg

There are some gems, if you explore the area.

Oh, this thread is making me sad! I used to live in Mountjoy (I knew it was bloody expensive back then, but am at the prices now!)

one with original kitchen for sale right now....

But the flats also look beautiful refurbished and all modern and shiny sigh

The Barbican does what it's supposed to do in terms of architectural ideas. Had a uni project about the Barbican - and went there on a gorgeous sunny day. Looking past the actual brutalism and concrete of it all, the shapes and shades created through the buildings when the sun shines on it can be very beautiful! A few hours later when it got cloudy however, it felt quite miserable :P

TwelveLeggedWalk, I know! The prices have shot upwards, even more so because of CrossRail and Smithfield's clubs and restaurants. It's always been expensive, quite a few people in the public eye used to live there in the 1980s like Clive James.

Although it's part of the Parisian 'Brutalist' architecture movement, it has many softer features with the lakes, willow and cherry trees in the parks. The interiors of the arts centre are all soft lighting, shadows cast against the walls, gold shade minimalist fittings, tinted glass and grey stone - unexpectedly sensual.

The Red Room
static.shop033.com/UserFiles/5794-Files/image/barbican%20bar.jpg

Foyer to the Arts Centre

static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2012/3/7/1331122112842/Barbican-foyer-10lg.jpg

upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/96/Barbican-arts-centre-int-la.jpg/220px-Barbican-arts-centre-int-la.jpg

I think that the interiors have stood the test of time and are still stylish and distinctive.

I think it's beautiful. I love 1960s tower blocks, they are so much more well-designed than modern flats. They are roomy and light inside with good ventilation, whilst modern flats tend to have windows facing the same way so poorly ventilated with long, narrow rooms.

This blog lays out some of the issues in more detail:
singleaspect.org.uk/

if we widen this from just London. I would like to nominate the worsley building at leeds uni as the ugliest building I have ever seen
www.google.co.uk/imgres?biw=1280&bih=1009&tbm=isch&tbnid=n46AL4zpQ3LROM%3A&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fschrodingers_duck%2F3277022068%2F&docid=chR72WOcN2ZcNM&itg=1&imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm4.staticflickr.com%2F3349%2F3277022068_d11f04a56a_o.jpg&w=1024&h=768&ei=LyTxUtWHKejB7Ab9uoCwAQ&zoom=1&ved=0CJ8BEIQcMBY&iact=rc&dur=213&page=1&start=0&ndsp=26

At first glance, one might think it looks like another group of 1960s tower blocks but the landscaping, water, conservatory, medieval church, arts centre, schools and museum make it much more - what it holds within its fortress, makes it distinct.

The Alumni of City of London School for Girls' include:
Romola Garai, Mary Nighy, Sophie Winkleman (Big Suze from Peep Show), Hermione Lee (Professor of English at Oxford University), Ferdinand Mount's daughter Mary, daughters of MPs and officials of the Queen's office.

The Alumni of Guildhall School of Speech and Drama include Daniel Craig, Orlando Bloom, Dominic West, Joseph Fiennes, Michelle Dockery and hundreds more.

Forgot to add that it also has a Roman Fort

londonist.com/2014/01/where-exactly-are-londons-lost-castles.php?showpage=3#gallery-1

Very unique set of buildings that manage to look ugly from outside the estate and yet calming and modern once actually inside the estate itself.

Its kind of a selfish estate - only appreciable by residents and hated by those that live/work on the perimeters

The biggest problem (as with a lot of modern buildings) is that the exterior has to be kept clean in order to look slick and in keeping with the modernist style. And the barbican has some of the filthiest looking walls in all of london. Concrete + pollution = pooh colour

City of London should be forced to clean their buildings - it's not as thought the residents wouldn't be able to afford it

Thanks DangerRabbit, indeed most modern flats are inferior to the 1960s and 1970s ones, especially low rise Camden which are superb. Thanks for the mention.