Property porn: ever wondered what it would be like to live inside the Barbican in London?

[Wigeon]

So I just went on an architectural tour of the Barbican estate in London, which got me wondering how much flats there go for, and what it would be like to live there.

I give you: mind blowing views. Mind blowing price: frankharris.reapitcloud.com/frhrps/pdf.php?p=BAR150310

No I don't really visit. Husband does sometimes as it's his relative and he keeps an eye on things over a cuppa.

Apparently you aren't allowed to hang out washing on the balconies as it would spoil the aesthetic line. And the backs of your curtains (that face outwards) have to be white. All 4,000 residents seemed to be complying with these rules yesterday.

I don't even know what it is (I can see it's expensive though)!! Did it used to be high raised council flats? Sort of has that look with the balcony corridor.

The house is nice, might buy that

Just had a look on wikipedia and noted that the architectural style is "Brutalist". I supposed it's catchier than "post war soviet-bunkereqsue hellhole".

I think there's definitely an interesting cultural aspect but if I had 4.5 million it wouldn't be my first choice of places to live.

I would love to live there.

I remember seeing a TV programme about them and they have moveable walls!

I would love one and I really like that era of architecture (which I have heard rather unfairly described as the 'f*-you' school of architecture). I love southbank too! Our flat is from the same era and I'm always daydreaming of refurnishing the whole lot in period furniture.

They seem to have really short leases, does that raise a problem with mortgages or are you expected not to need one if you live there I like the views from the windows but not the limited space or the concrete.

MakingJudy - definitely not council flats - it was built to be sold at market rate and make money for the council. Brief wiki entry here: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbican_Estate

Thatstoast: another thing I learnt in the tour was that brutalist doesn't mean brutal, it apparently derives from "beton brut" meaning "raw concrete" in French. But rather apt that it evokes "brutal" in English. The tour guide was trying to say that apparently it's not pure brutalist because there are many decorative aspects. Okaaay....

it looks like council flats

i had a job that took me inside lots of Barbican flats (NB not sex worker)
i love them, but would definitely want to make sure I had an original kitchen and bathroom
i know the towers are traditionally the most sought-after, but I always liked Speed House
and the one that overlooks the Church - Gilbert House I think?

when I worked there, there were still some (mainly older) people who rented directly from the City Corporation. As they died moved on they grabbed the flats back and flogged them ASAP.

They do look like council flats. Still, it's better than the pre-fab my aunty used to live in.

I'm going to try and find an example of a pure brutalist building now.

I live the terraced house. And covet the sideboard in it. I've been stalking similar on eBay for years.

I love the house. I don't live in it.

where would you buy a pint of milk?

There is a waitrose, m&s supermarket and Tesco express downstairs. Or grown level. A few walks from lots of little shops. Liverpool Street is five mins. Lots of little shops too. I used to love that place.

Very windy area too, mainly on the ground level. Always found it strange. My best friend had a flat there.

One weird thing with the buildings, because of the new cinema, you can actually hear it through the walls. The cinema is across the road on the ground level. You can hear this on the 10-12 floor .

I've been when we visited my friends parents. Theirs was originally two flats that his Dad bought and knocked together. Don't get me wrong, the flat and the view was pretty good, but that's because it was a nice flat.

As for the building, when you walk up the stairwell you may as well be in Nelson Mandela house and half expect Del and Rodney to appear round the corner.

I love the barbican and is also in my lottery/retirement dreams ...I remember going as a child and being very proud I didn't get lost

Theres a really nice restaurant/bistro which takes tastecard so v reasonable at lunchtime that overlooks the water ..if we're ever in that part of town we pretend we live there!

I wouldn't say no to a flat in the Barbican, but I'd rather something closer to the Thames for the London pied a terre part of my fantasy property portfolio.

"nb not sex worker" is my favourite ever MN clarification

I lived in the Barbican as a teenager in the 1980s. My mother had a flat there after she left my father, and I lived with her. I loved it. It was very friendly, all the neighbours on our floor were lovely. There were lots of little shops around, and my school was 5 minutes walk away.

I have an enduring love for Brutalist architecture now, even though I live in mock Tudor suburbia.

I have a friend living there who claims he isn't allowed to rip out the original kitchen and bathroom as an owner due to some kind of preservation requirement - fox can you confirm? I've always wondered about this.

IMO there are far nicer, cheaper, less restrictive ex-council properties available around that bit of London - near Whitecross Street, the Golden Lane estate etc. Not sure I'd buy in the Barbican - though it was tempting when I was working in the law firm just over the road!

Ooh I like that one hesterton!

Whitecross St also has a fab lunchtime market where DP and I had our first date

I know a few people who live there too, nice if you are very into design but a pain if you need any work done because it has listed status. Not great if you have messy kids but the conservatory, and library are great to have on your doorstep if you have DC plus City of London School for Girls is right there.

OP the yellow lines on the ground always lead you out.

The thing I don't like is when I've visited people who live there and emerged late at night and walked to Barbican Station, I get completely freaked out at how quiet it is and how loudly my heels sound. If ever I've heard anyone else walking near me, I've been so scared I've nearly flow to the tube station - it's like something out of a scandinavian horror film.

Went on the same tour a few weeks ago. I loved it.

Beyond the aesthetic there are a number of other great intentions behind the project: a pedestrianised mixed-use estate, hiding cars underneath and at the edges. It's high density, high public space. Urban allotments, private residents' gardens. Given the location, much of it is incredibly quiet!

There actually were plans to have shops on the estate, but the footfall was too low for them to survive as it's not intuitive to walk through. Having a self-contained estate is a great goal, but that element at least didn't work.

Though i do have huge sympathy for Brutalism anyway. Joanathan Meades gives an entertaining defence, whether you end up agreeing or not vimeo.com/93963469

If I had the money I'd definitely consider it.

for some reason I was reading up about it, there's a comprehensive website.

the original kitchen/bathrooms are selling points! There's some nutty waste disposal system which many people have ripped out. The flats have very few electric sockets so everyone lives with extension leads everywhere.

great if you work locally, but the noise, heat, laundry draped about and lack of space would drive me bananas.

any place that makes rules saying 'waste energy with a dryer or make the place damp with laundry' should be outlawed.