Barbican (01)

Barbican 01

A city within a city.

I've spent countless hours wandering the Barbican's labyrinthine walkways, always discovering something new. Here, Chamberlin, Powell and Bon's 1982 masterpiece reveals itself not as the “concrete jungle” its critics claim, but as something far more ambitious – a utopian vision made manifest in raw concrete and brick.

Photographed in the crisp morning light, this image captures the heart of the complex: the interplay between the towers and courtyards, the rhythm of stepped terraces that create a human scale within this monumental landscape. The textured concrete surfaces, showing a warm honey tone, speak of decades of London life lived within these walls.

What fascinates me about the Barbican is its complexity – how it functions simultaneously as fortress and sanctuary, as brutal monument and liveable community. Here, the morning sun illuminates the intricate geometry of the residential towers, their repetitive balconies creating a fascinating pattern against the clear sky. The brick-paved courtyard below anchors the composition, reminding us that this is, above all, a place for people.

Print Details

• C-Type print on Fuji Crystal Archive Paper

• Exceptional colour reproduction and archival quality

• The paper is coated with a slightly stippled texture giving a very natural photographic finish with subtle colour

• Shipped in protective tubes

• Available in various sizes to suit your space

This photograph is part of my ongoing exploration of brutalism's unexpected poetry – finding beauty in buildings that many pass by without a second glance. Like all my architectural studies, it's about revealing the extraordinary in the seemingly ordinary.

For interiors that celebrate thoughtful design and quiet contemplation.