Planned in the 1950s and finally completed in the early 1970’s, the Barbican Estate was created to help re-populate and re-revitalize the severely damaged the City of London after World War II. Designed by architects Chamberlin, Powell, and Bon in Le Corbusier’s Brutalist aesthetic, the residences cover 140,000 square meters, consisting not only of homes but also schools, museums, fire stations, clinics, libraries, art galleries, performing arts venues and other large-scale public facilities. The latter three mentioned later became the Barbican Arts Centre, a well-respected cultural magnet in London. The Barbican Estate has received its share of criticism from London residents, similar to other brooding Brutalist buildings. It was even voted as “One of the ugliest architectural sites in London.” However, in 2001, it was classified by the British culture minister as a Grade II cultural relic, complete with a 90-minute Hidden Barbican Tour recognizing the design significance of the era.
Anton Rodriguez is a resident of the Barbican Estates. He works in the fashion and architecture photography field and often hears the negative comments from Londoners regarding this design. He decided to use his spare time to visit his neighbours, and photograph the environments of their units. He also interviewed them, asking when and why they decided to move into the area. He then uploads his photos and information onto his website, “Barbican Residents”, to provide answers to the curiousity and loathing about the development that has divided the public for decades.
This project has been carried out for more than a year, with Anton having photographed and interviewed 20 families living in the complex. He finds many are young creatives just like himself, who have arranged their homes with a modern style which showcases the vibrant atmosphere. At the same time, Anton also presents residents who have lived at the Barbican ever since day one, meaning they have been growing old with the architecture for the past 40 years. Whatever your views are on the Barbican, reading the text and looking at the images on “Barbican Residents,” reveal residents filled with undeniable warmth and humanity.
