12 segregation in order to enrich communities, and eradicate the stigma of the upper class. The estate took over a decade to complete, and was opened by the Queen in 1982, where, She described the estate as a modern wonder of the world. However, the Barbican does not always receive such praise. The Brutalist style is often condemned for being cold, uninviting and soulless. One is entirely allowed to form one’s ideas on the aesthetic of this concrete icon, with many calling the Barbican ‘council housing for middle class people’. However, the thorough, ingenius and radical design that Chamberlin, Powell and Bon conjured up is unlike any other master plan seen in London today. The intentions of creating a cultural, communal space remained profound through the design process and, despite the desire of social housing apartments not being granted, the Barbican is an architectural icon and inspiration to many. I visited the Barbican the week before the second lockdown commenced and the atmosphere that this produced was extremely eerie and surreal. Being alone in this colossal estate was dreamlike, as the Barbican is normally a bustling place full of creatives attending weekender events. As a result, I felt as though I was able to engage with the life of a resident, existing within the space because to them it is a home, not just a tourist attraction. The entirety of my visit I felt entirely enclosed within this brutalist lump, separated from the City of London.When inside it’s hard to believe how central you are because of the stillness and silence. Concludingly, the estate felt like its own village and Chamberlin, Powell and Bon were undoubtedly successful. The intense geometry and range of shapes within the estates was particularly interesting to me: the contrast between expressive sweeping stairs which lead to perpendicular pathways; repetitive semicircles becoming arches over windows clashing poetically with the abrupt chunks of cuboid concrete. There were so many elements of visual harmony through risk-taking. Not only were Chamberlin, Powell and Bon architects, they also created art.
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