14/11/16

Step inside the residents of the iconic Barbican

Logo Design

Ever wondered what it would be like to live inside the Barbican? We certainly have, having long been an admirer of this twentieth-century utopian vision. Now London’s most iconic Brutalist building is offering a glimpse into some of its residents’ homes.

Residents: Inside the Iconic Barbican Estate sees photographer and resident Anton Rodriguez capture the interiors of 22 homes. We enter the lives of an interesting collection of people, young and old, some with young families, and mostly creative types, who have made the Barbican their home. We hear their stories to understand why this building is so pivotal to their lives.

The Grade II listed mixed-use residential and arts complex is a monument to the highpoint of Modernism – to a time when London urban planners had more compelling visions than simply building luxury apartments.

The building itself is a contrast of hard and soft – the tall, thick slabs of concrete encourage a mesmerising play of light, artfully captured by Rodriguez in this book. The Barbican also boasts some fantastic examples of logo design and most of the original graphic design has been preserved.

Constructed in the 1960s and 70s in an inner-city area once devastated by World War II bombings, the Barbican was a city village of sorts with a vision to help form strong communities. As urban growth explodes, the Barbican vision feels hugely relevant.

Residents: Inside the Iconic Barbican Estate is published by Barbican.

Images © Anton Rodriguez

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