IITheBarbican

The development of the Barbican was extensive, yet it had illustrated a style of placemaking unseen before its time of completion. What could be an accurate and perhaps still relevant review was through the Architect’s Journal which described the Barbican when completed as having:

“all the aspects, gigantisms single of purpose - of that bygone age when architects had the confidence (or naivety) to believe that monumentality had a place in architecture and that part of the [architects’] job as designers was the imposition of a discipline and order on the users of the building.” 21

However, Piers Gough, wrote that: “The Barbican, with its multi-levels of pedestrian realm, was the closest built reality to the seemingly inevitable three-dimensional complexity of the future city.” 22 A complexity easily charted when navigating the Barbican as it provides a dramatic setting of monumentalism which although can be experienced as an imposing space, it can be argued the Barbican’s display of interlocking walkways and use of space is rather a disposition of space, both complex yet simple enough to re-enact as a city itself.

(Fig.10)