The beauty of life in the heart of the Barbican
“A totally complete, stonkingly powerful, three-dimensional city, wrapped around a sumptuous landscape of green squares and lakes.” So said Piers Gough, the post-modernist architect (and the brains behind Bankside Lofts, the subject of one of our films, which you can watch here). He was, of course, talking about the Barbican: perhaps the UK’s most important example of brutalism, which lies in the City of London. The Grade II-listed estate spans roughly 40 acres and comprises more than 2,000 homes – from flats to maisonettes – including those within soaring buildings and neat terrace blocks, such as Shakespeare Tower and Speed House. Today, however, we’re interested in one house in particular: a two-bedroom, three-storey number within Brandon Mews.
Brandon Mews, a small terrace completed in 1969, is located – rather idyllically – behind the ornamental waterfall at the southern end of the Barbican lake. The homes here are instantly recognisable for having a remarkable floor-to-ceiling U-shaped window, which in this case frames lush views of greenery and the tops of Cromwell Tower and Shakespeare Tower in the distance. It’s one of the fine original features that define the interiors of this deceptively expansive two-bed (the lower-ground study could easily be used as a third), along with the golden wood-panelled walls and the double-height open-tread staircase. These chime beautifully with contemporary additions: the cool slate flooring, the newly kitted-out, retro-leaning kitchen and a space-maximising mirrored wall in the main bedroom.
Life in the Barbican means you get the best of both worlds: with office blocks as neighbours, buzzing crowds of nine-to-fivers call the area home Monday to Friday, while at the weekend, as Tom attests, “it’s so peaceful and quiet.” But in spite of its central location (it’s within walking distance of Old Street, Farringdon, Liverpool and Bank), the Barbican is an oasis of calm. As well as having access to the public outdoor spaces, those who live here are given a key that unlocks a number of verdant secret gardens – from those with expansive lawns, native plants and exotic trees, where residents congregate during the warmer months, to hidden patioed pockets overlooking the water.
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