“Bathrooms and, particularly in this estate, kitchens are in use during only a short part of the day (much of which is, in any case, after dark) so that it is no great drawback for these rooms to depend on artificial light. They will all be equipped with a forced extract ventilating system which is more efficient than normal window ventilation.”

Chamberlin, Powell & Bon, “Barbican Redevelopment” April 1959

Position of bathroom and toilet

Chamberlin Powell and Bon wanted to ensure that there would be enough window space in the flats to provide plenty of daylight for living rooms and bedrooms. They did not want to share it with kitchens or bathrooms. You will see their reasoning in the quote above.

So, bathrooms, toilets and shower rooms do not have windows. In terrace flats they are either in the middle of the flats (in east-west facing flats) or behind the living rooms (in north-south facing flats). In tower flats, the kitchens and bathrooms are next to the central core, which is convenient for the connection of services.

Original fittings

The walls and floors of Barbican bathrooms were all tiled. Sanitary ware and pipes were built on site. A carcass was built round ducts and pipes and also tiled.

The water heater

In flats which still retain the original features, a thermostatically controlled water heater supplies the bathroom, toilet, hand-rinse and shower room. The heater holds 136 or 182 litre of water and has a 3 kW heating element. When the supply runs cold, it takes 3 hours to heat up again.

Wiring

Single voltage shaver sockets were supplied in each bathroom (and in the shower area of larger flats). Dual voltage outlets can be substituted. There are unwired conduits in the bathroom leading back to the electricity distributor boards. One is high up to allow for the installation of an infra-red heater, and one is low down to allow for a heated towel rail to be installed.

Overflows

The Barbican Estate’s printed advice to residents was that in the event of an overflow from the toilet cistern, the water would drain down the gulley in the bathroom floor and should be allowed to run away freely. O brave new world!