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The Barbican

arslan.io

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Re: The Barbican

#31

Post by JimDabell »

pkd wrote: post #2

This was great and the photos were good too! I have a similar sort of fascination with a structure closer to me: Habitat 67 in Montreal. I have at various points considered buying a unit there but practicality prevents me from doing so each time. I don't know how long I'll resist. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habitat_67

Habitat 67 reminds me of The Interlace in Singapore. I’m guessing The Interlace took some inspiration from it.

https://www.architectural-review.com/today/the-interlace-in-...

Re: The Barbican

#32

Post by hnlmorg »

I used to work on a top floor of the building next to it so had a first class view of the estate. Been there a few times and a friend used to live there too.

He would rave about the place but I’m not a fan of it personally.

Aesthetically it’s out of place and (in my personal opinion) a bit of an eye sore.

The maze like design seems fun at first but it’s less amusing if you’re the one who’s actually lost in there and have somewhere to be.

The apartments are small and impossible to get the temperature right (too hot in summer, too cold in winter).

But because its iconic people still pay an obscene amount to live there.

The on-site amenities are pretty good, but its central London, you’re not far from literally anything you could imagine or desire. So I’m not sure that’s as much a selling point now than it was when the estate was built.

It’s one of those places you’d have to really love in spite of its warts because it’s so impractical by modern standards.

Re: The Barbican

#33

Post by mattkevan »

oniony wrote: post #22

So strange to talk about the Barbican Centre as a curiousity and to not mention the greenhouse! I used to work around the area and would take 'short cuts' from the Barbican tube station through the Barbican Centre to the City. I got lost many, many times, would end up in dead ends, or the other side of lakes to where I wanted to be. Or stuck behind a metal gate I could not open. The place often taunts you with a view…

I love the greenhouse, it’s one of my favourite places in London. Walking around it, exploring the different levels and observing the plants covering the concrete and ductwork makes me feel like I’m in some kind of retro-futuristic space arcology.

Such a contrast to the Sky Garden in the City which has all the charm of an airport departure lounge.

Re: The Barbican

#34

Post by grumpy-de-sre »

One of the very few places in London that I ever felt truly at peace.

I think the heavy maze like structure was incredibly effective at blocking out the sound of the city and the water features / conservatory made it an amazing place to chill out for a relaxing lunch.

Not quite cyberpunk, not quite solarpunk but somewhere in between and utterly unique.

Re: The Barbican

#37

Post by SideburnsOfDoom »

xnx wrote: post #3

Possibly getting some more attention now because of some scenes from Andor 2 that were shot there: https://www.reddit.com/r/london/comments/1kb8k4u/lloyds_of_l...

That and it's also in the spy thriller series Slow Horses

which is good too, it's a mix of Black comedy and spy tension.

Re: The Barbican

#38

Post by derriz »

(Not very) interesting that the author of the piece refers to it as "Barbican" while I've never heard it referred to without the definite article - i.e. "The Barbican". Is there any significance to this?

Re: The Barbican

#39

Post by fmajid »

paulsmith wrote: post #5
xnx wrote: post #3

Possibly getting some more attention now because of some scenes from Andor 2 that were shot there: https://www.reddit.com/r/london/comments/1kb8k4u/lloyds_of_l...

Yep, and S1E7: https://moviemaps.org/episodes/9c8 I was reading this post and thinking, huh, this would be a good set for a Coruscant shot in Andor, and sure enough ...

The Scarif transport network scenes in Rogue One were shot at London's Canary Wharf Underground station, however.

Re: The Barbican

#40

Post by farslan »

derriz wrote: post #38

(Not very) interesting that the author of the piece refers to it as "Barbican" while I've never heard it referred to without the definite article - i.e. "The Barbican". Is there any significance to this?

You’re right. I submitted it as The Barbican here, because that felt more natural for me. I just updated the title of my blog post to The Barbican as well
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