• Mixed Development

Barbican Estate is an unprecedented urban mixed-development project, which is not only built on an important historical site inside central London but proposes a new way of co-existence within the City of London. On the night of December 29th, 1940, amidst World War II, heavy bomb raided the City of London. The Luftwaffe has destroyed a 35-acre site in the heart of London to the ground. The site is known as the Barbican. The word “barbican” came from the Latin word Barbecana, which means fortified outpost or gateway, often part of the defense system of the city. The old fort of Roman London (90-120 AD) is now rumbling on the ground. Following the war, the City of London started to explore possibilities with this 35-acre land in the heart of London. In 1947, the initial blueprint for its planning was for the whole site to be commercial; the City was seen as unsuitable for residential use at the time. In 1952, the City of London started a discussion about the future of the site. The perspective of the London city center as unsuitable for residential use has made the area’s population drop significantly. On September 19, 1957, a decision was made by the Court of Common Council to build new residential properties on the site of Barbican. After the decision was made to build a residential property on the Barbican site, the government turned to architects Chamberlin, Powell, and Bon for a proposal. Chamberlin, Powell, and Bon designed “Golden Lane Estate, " a council housing project located north of Barbican, which received great success in its completion in 1951. In 1955, a final decision was made on Chamberlin, Powell, and Bon to design a residential project that would entice new residents into this void of the City. Duncan Sandys, the Minister of Housing and Local Government, strongly supported residential development in the City and said, “I am convinced that there would be advantages in creating in the City a genuine residential neighborhood, incorporating schools, shops, open spaces, and other amenities, even if this means forgoing a more remunerative return on the land.” This project is important not only because of the residential component but also because of its mixed development scheme. In 1957, the city council recommended that 25 acres in the South of Barbican be developed as residential neighborhoods and educational facilities, as well as the City of London School for Girls and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama; 10 acres in the North of Barbican to be designed as inclusive housing instead of purely council estate. This decision drastically changed the landscape of Barbican; the Barbican proposed a diverse type of housing units that could accommodate a range of residents, which became an interesting theme among architects in discussion on the layout and the evolution of the living conditions. In 1962, the construction started on the site. With Chamberlin, Powell, and Bon as lead architects, Ove Arup and Partners as structural engineers, and several different construction companies appointed as contractors. Chamberlin, Powell and Bon’s masterplan for the Barbican featured cultural facilities (including a concert hall and theater), a shopping mall, underground parking, private gardens, and lakes with fountains and a waterfall. Notably, one of the few buildings that survived the bombing of 1940 and remained in the historical context of Barbican is St. Giles Church, standing in the center of the estate. The vast array of amenities has attracted a large crowd of people to the site for different purposes, furthering the Barbican Estate as a flourishing neighborhood and not just a residential complex. Barbican Estate is also known for its Brutalism architectural style; the façade was hand pick-hammered, not only showering the raw concrete but embracing the original meaning of the term ‘Brutalism,’ which came from the French word béton brut, meaning raw or unfinished concrete. Today, the Barbican Estate still stands as an exemplar of Brutalist architecture. Embracing the new Brutalist architectural style, as well as incorporating the remaining fragments of the ancient Roman wall and the St. Giles Church. The juxtaposition of modern and historical style, combined with the immensely diverse programming of the site, have made Barbican one of the most important and influential examples in design. Brutalism also became the prevailing architectural style for new housing estates throughout Britain in the 1970s. Residents spoke about the excellent quality of life in the estate, and swarms of visitors frequenting the concert hall, theater, and gardens have testified to the success of the Barbican Estate. To this day, the Barbican Estates stands as one of the most successful mix-development projects not only in London but the world.