Barbican Living

Site map

Topics are broken down into these categories

HISTORY

 

Histories of the Barbican area, the creation of the Barbican estate, the City, Smithfield, Cripplegate, St Giles Church, and – at the risk of obsessiveness – the history of concrete and Modernism

DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE

 

The design and architecture of the estate, the various plans, terraces and towers, and the ‘philosophy’ behind all the features you may not have noticed

LIVING IN THE BARBICAN

 

Things you need to know about your flat and the services available to you, and a few other things I happen to be interested in

BLOCKS

 

Nothing about the various blocks because you can locate them so easily on the main menu

BUYING AND SELLING

 

What you need to know to buy or sell in the Barbican, including detailed flat types and all the flat plans which you can view.

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HISTORY

 
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History of the Barbican area since Roman times

 

Since the Romans

 

The Anglo-Saxons

 

The Middle Ages

 

A new Athens

 

A new Sodom and Gomorrah

 

Bedlam and the 18th century

 

19th and 20th centuries

 

 

History of Cripplegate

History of St Giles Church

History of Smithfield

 

 

History of the City of London

 

The early City of London

 

Rise of the City of London

 

Dick Whittington and other Lord Mayors

 

Livery Companies

 

 

Derivation of the "Barbican" name

 

 

History of the Barbican estate

 

Barbican after the Second World War

 

Eric Wilkins, father of the Barbican

 

Chamberlin Powell & Bon’s early plans

 

Residential is still touch and go

 

The planning application goes in

 

The 1959 plan

 

The Barbican estate is built

 

 

Modernism

 

Modernism

 

After Modernism

 

Le Corbusier

 

Walter Gropius

 

Miles Van der Rohe

 

 

Concrete

 

Invention of concrete

 

Reinvention of concrete

 

Modern concrete

 

 

DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE

 

 
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Architects

 

Chamberlin Powell & Bon

 

Peter Chamberlin

 

Christof Bon

 

Geoffry Powell

 

The Barbican commission

 

 

Grand plan
for the Barbican

 

Grand Plan

 

Why a residential estate? 

 

Venice and the podia

 

Imitation of London squares

 

Space

 

The bridge across the lake

 

Rounded forms

 

The concrete finish

 

A mix of flats

 

Flat design

 

Quiet

 

Garages

 

Roads

 

Shops

 

Verdict

 

 

Earlier schemes

 

The 1955 scheme

 

Glass pyramids (the 1956 scheme)

 

Venice in concrete (the 1959 scheme)

 

Changes from the 1959 scheme

 

 

Construction

 

Site

 

The City walls

 

Railway cutting

 

Sewers

 

Building on stilts

 

Foundations

 

Structure

 

Hammered and brushed finish

 

Bricks and tiles

 

 

Terrace blocks

 

Terrace blocks

 

Creating space with columns

 

Defining space with blocks

 

Front to back Terrace blocks

 

Side to side blocks

 

The up-and-over block Willoughby House

 

Room layouts

 

 

Tower blocks

 

The three towers

 

Victorian factory chimneys

 

Flat design

 

Zig-zag drains

 

Balconies

 

Service hatches

 

 

Podium
and highwalks

 

"Podium" -- What a podium is

 

North and South Barbican

 

The importance of the bricks

 

"Boat edge" balustrades

 

Other features

 

 

Gardens

 

Gardens

 

Thomas More Garden

 

Speed Garden

 

Beech Garden

 

Podium flower beds

 

Trees in tubs

 

Flowers in tubs

 

Concrete containers

 

City Wall area

 

Wild garden

 

Barber Surgeons’ herb garden

 

Odd gardens

 

 

Lakes

 

Original plans

 

The water

 

The waterfall

 

Fountains

 

Igloos

 

Plant life

 

The fish

 

The birds

 

Bryer Court Lake

 

Maintenance

 

 

Garchey

 

The Garchey story

 

The Garchey system

 

 

Great place to live

 

 

LIVING IN THE BARBICAN

 

 
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Flat features

 

Kitchens

 

Bathrooms

 

Balconies

 

Doors

 

Storage

 

Windows

 

The Barbican hand basin

 

Entry phone

 

 

Flat services

 

Electrics

 

Water

 

Ventilation

 

Rubbish

 

Garchey

 

Heating

 

Television

 

Lifts

 

Staff

 

 

Flat other things

 

Service charges

 

Leases

 

Insurance

 

Service level agreements

 

Car parking

 

Baggage stores

 

 

Barbican Life magazine and Barbican Talk chatroom

Barbican Estate Office

How the Barbican estate is run

What’s going on

Round and about

Exploring

 

 

Neighbouring entities

 

Barbican Arts Centre

 

St Giles Cripplegate

 

St Giles Terrace

 

Girls School

 

Guildhall School of Drama and Music

 

Barbican YMCA

 

Museum of London

 

Ironmongers’ Hall

 

Barber Surgeons’ Hall

 

 

Altering your flat

 

Alterations

 

Listed building consent

 

Salvage store

 

Repairs

 

 

Wildlife

 

Biodiversity in the Barbican

 

Barbican animal life

 

Barbican birdlife

 

 

BUYING AND SELLING

 

 
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A great place to live

 

Why you need us

 

Flat types

 

Flat plans

 

How to choose

 

Service charges

 

Crime

 

Crossrail

 

Selling

 

Frequently asked questions

 

Everything else

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