Barbican Estate

The Barbican Estate is a residential estate in the City of London, in an area densely packed with commerce and finance. It also contains, or is adjacent to, the Barbican Arts Centre, the Museum of London, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, the Barbican public library, the City of London School for Girls and a YMCA, forming the Barbican Complex. With the exception of Milton Court, which contained a fire station, medical facilities and some f... more

The Barbican Estate is a residential estate in the City of London, in an area densely packed with commerce and finance. It also contains, or is adjacent to, the Barbican Arts Centre, the Museum of London, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, the Barbican public library, the City of London School for Girls and a YMCA, forming the Barbican Complex. With the exception of Milton Court, which contained a fire station, medical facilities and some flats, the complex has been Grade II listed as a whole. During World War II, the City suffered serious damage and loss of life. The Cripplegate area was virtually demolished and by 1951 the resident population of the City stood at 5,324 of whom 48 lived in Cripplegate. Discussions began in 1952 about the future of the site, and the decision to build new residential properties was taken by the Court of Common Council on 19 September 1957. The estate was built between 1965 and 1976, on a 35-acre (140,000 m) site that was bombed in World War II... less