The central public court of the Barbican, Lakeside Terrace, features a café area.

Shakespeare Tower, one of the three residential towers

History

The estate was built between 1965 and 1976, on a site that was bombed in World War II.The complex was designed by architects Chamberlin, Powell and Bon, whose first work was the earlier, ground-breaking Golden Lane Estate immediately North of Barbican. The Minister for the Arts, Tessa Blackstone, announced in September 2001 that the Barbican complex was to be Grade II listed. It has been designated a site of special architectural interest for its scale, its cohesion and the ambition of the project.^[1] The complex is architecturally important as it is one of London's principal examples of concrete Brutalist architecture and considered a landmark.

During World War II, the City suffered serious damage and loss of life. The Cripplegate area was virtually demolished and by 1951 the resident population of the City stood at 5,324 of whom 48 lived in Cripplegate. Discussions began in 1952 about the future of the site, and the decision to build new residential properties was taken by the Court of Common Council on 19 September 1957.^[2]

The estate of was officially opened in 1969 and is now home to around 4,000 people living in 2,014 flats.^[2] The flats reflect the widespread use in Britain in the 1960s and 1970s of concrete as the visible face of the building.

Blocks and towers

The residential estate consists of 13 terrace blocks, grouped around the lake and green squares within the complex. The main buildings rise for up to seven floors above a podium level, which links all the facilities in the Barbican, providing a pedestrian route above street level. Some maisonettes are built into the podium structure. There is no vehicular access within the estate, but there are some car parks at the periphery of the estate. Public car parks are located within the Barbican centre.

The estate also contains three of London's tallest residential towers, at 42 storeys and high. The top two floors comprise one penthouse flat. The towers are (east to west):

• Cromwell Tower, completed in 1973 - named after Oliver Cromwell;^[3]
• Shakespeare Tower, completed in 1976 - named after William Shakespeare;^[4] and
• Lauderdale Tower, completed in 1974 - named after the Earls of Lauderdale.^[5]

Although the tallest residential towers in London, they will soon be surpassed by the Pan Peninsula development near Canary Wharf.

Barbican complex

The Barbican Estate also contains the Barbican Centre (an arts, drama and business venue), the Barbican public library, the City of London School for Girls, the Museum of London, and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. A YMCA building was constructed between 1965 and 1971^[1] to link the Barbican and Golden Lane Estate, it is also listed.

Nearby rail and Tube

National Rail

• Barbican (Thameslink trains bound for Moorgate stop here, but not when outbound from Moorgate)
• Liverpool Street
• Moorgate
• Farringdon

London Underground

• Barbican (Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines).
• Moorgate (Northern (city branch), Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines)
• St. Paul's (Central Line)
• Farringdon (Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines)

See also

• Barbican Centre
• Museum of London

References and notes

External links

• The history of the Barbican Estate
• Barbican living
• Barbican talk
• Corporation of London:Barbican Estate
• Save Milton Court: A website opposed to the proposed demolition of part of the estate

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