I travelled into London on Saturday to take a look at 3 Brutalist buildings. The Civil Aviation Authority, Kings College London and The Barbican.
To kick things off, here are some shots from The Barbican.
Now, I will admit, I should have kept a note of which tower was which…as they are all look the same to the uneducated eye…indeed, they are all the same ;-). Each is 42 storeys high with penthouses at the top. The idea was you started out down in one of the terrace blocks ( 1 and 2 bedroom apartments) and as you got along in life you could, literally move up in the world as you moved into one of the towers with 3 and 4 bedroom apartments, finally, the most expensive (and largest) properties, the penthouses are at the top of the towers.
In the terraces you are positively encouraged to grow flowers and bushes outside to soften the architecture, but in the towers you are forbidden to do this, although some try and get around this prohibition!
You will see this saw tooth design all around the Barbican estate, indeed, there are a number of repeating motifs to discover.
Here’s the one full colour image from the Barbican that you’ll get today. A view of the Art Gallery entrance. The Barbican centre is an extensive area contained within the Barbican Estate and promises theatre, cinema, art and lots more for the discerning resident and non-resident alike.
My favourite image of the day is this shot of 3 pillars and a wall. It caught my eye as I walked past and strangely reminds me of Doctor Who’s tardis. This is the sort of look and style I am initially going for with my ARPS although this may well evolve over time.
I certainly feel that a more abstract approach works well with these Barbican images at the moment…the above image shows a staircase that leads out of the public terrace area.
I didn’t spend as much time photographing The Barbican as I wanted to. Instead, I took the Architecture tour which lasts an hour and a half and is excellent value for money and a great way to learn about The Barbican. If you are interested in this click here for booking details.
You may also be wondering where the images for Kings College and the Civil Aviation Authority are…well, patience 😉
