The Online Photographer: Sony Changes Its Design
(This is something that I wrote on theonlinephotographer.typepad.com.)
Tom Burke: “…residents apparently greatly enjoy living there”. I lived in the Barbican for 15 years and if I moved back to London I’d happily live there again.
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” has never been more true I guess. I find it, and other good examples of the style, beautiful. They feel solid and reliable, and are truthful: they’re made of what you see, unlike similar modern buildings which are often concrete covered in a thin layer of insulation and “attractive” cladding.
They can look grey and windswept, but then no building looks its best on a grey windy day. See them warmed by setting orange sunlight and they glow, seeming less like concrete than structures pulled or carved from earth and rock.
In the Barbican’s case, even if you dislike the style from a distance, it’s a great example of how architecture is more than the overall shape and material. Everything is carefully considered and well made, from the kitchens and bathrooms, door handles, room layouts, vents, stairwells, gardens, lakes, walkways, etc.
As an indication of its achievements, look at this cross section of the arts centre, some of which is buried below ground, squeezed around the tunnels for underground trains, and which rises up several stories - the fly tower for the theatre is encased in a vast conservatory full of trees and plants! https://www.architecture.com/knowledge-and-resources/knowledge-landing-page/drawn-perspective-section-of-the-barbican-centre-1970?srsltid=AfmBOorzfyc_GLv3CWnRPJPs0OPFwjEszzC0zMZRV0-2e825MarwqLwC
It’s not perfect. Anything as complex as the housing estate and the arts centre will have its faults. But it is also a remarkable achievement, a wonderful place to live, and an oasis in the city.