Is the Barbican a nice place to live?

I have lived on the Barbican Estate for over 19 years. I like it for its fantastic location, the lake, the two gated parks and the general friendliness of the place. The theatre, concert hall, cinemas and restaurants are nice too.

What is living in the Barbican like?

It’s all so peaceful; no traffic outside, little other noise aside from the fountains plinking on the lake. OK, the City’s quiet on a Sunday as a rule, but inside the Barbican it’s always like this. We’ll go and live in the Barbican — cultural hub, lots of cinema and things…’ “And we’ve sort of used that.

Is Barbican posh?

The Barbican Estate, or Barbican, is a residential complex of around 2,000 flats, maisonettes, and houses in central London, England, within the City of London. Originally built as rental housing for middle and upper-middle-class professionals, it remains to this day an upmarket residential estate.

Why is the Barbican so expensive?

Research by Savills shows that as architectural appreciation for the Barbican has grown, so has the value of its homes. In 2004 the average price was just over £350,000. In addition to the outside terrace, Barbican residents all have use of the large communal gardens organised across the estate.

Is there social housing in the Barbican?

THE BARBICAN WAS NEVER ‘SOCIAL HOUSING’ The Barbican estate was indeed built by a local authority – a rather unique one, The City of London Corporation. They didn’t build the Barbican estate as social housing. They built it to make a profit.

How many people live in the Barbican estate?

4,000 residents
Construction for the Barbican Estate started in 1965 and took 11 years to complete. The complex, designed by architects Chamberlin, Powell and Bon, was Grade II-listed in September 2001. Today, the 40-acre Estate is home to more than 4,000 residents, living in over 2,014 flats.

Why is Barbican water green?

The real story was that the water in the lake performed a dual function as part of the Barbican Centre’s cooling system, which was a very clever idea, but in practice algae growing in the lake was gumming up the equipment.

How many residents does the Barbican have?

4000 residents
With an estimated 4000 residents living in the Barbican, there are over 2000 flats with no less than a 140 different types of flat layouts.

What is it like to live in the Barbican?

It must at times be like living inside one of those twee promotional 1960s videos with a slick voiceover. Indeed, living in the Barbican, you do more than grow to accept it; you understand it, fall in love with it, more and more each day.

Who is the tenant in residents inside the Barbican?

Nigel is among tenants to be featured in Residents: Inside the Iconic Barbican Estate, a new book which gives an inight into the lives inside 22 of the homes. Designed by architects Chamberlin, Powell and Bon, the Barbican complex was built during the 1960s and 1970s.

Do people still guffaw at the Barbican?

People still guffaw at the post-war optimism of the Barbican, otherwise tutting at the ‘poor sods’ who’ve found themselves living on such a ghastly estate. True, it didn’t all take off; the pedways were deemed a failure.

What type of architecture is the Barbican complex?

The Barbican Complex is a prominent example of British brutalist architecture and is Grade II listed as a whole with the exception of the former Milton Court.