A cool city within the City, The Barbican in London’s Square Mile stands firm today as a stronghold of dynamic, fashionable urban living.

Designed by architects Chamberlin, Powell and Bon, and evoking the heritage of the London Wall, the landmark brutalist buildings rose from the devastation of the Blitz. The result resembles a walled settlement complete with architectural motifs of battlements and ramparts. 

All this creates privacy for its residents by cocooning them from the hubbub of the capital on their doorstep, allowing them to retreat into the intimate spaces of the plazas and private gardens within.

More than 2,000 homes in 20 different blocks of towers, terraced flats and townhouses were completed by 1976 and The Barbican now houses 4,000 people, roughly half the Square Mile’s permanent population. 

But this isn’t just a convenient place to live with easy access to all that London has to offer; with a world-renowned arts centre, library and conservatoire, it has a cultural richness of its own.

What was once one of London’s best kept secrets has seen significant buyer interest and price growth over the past 20 years as people rediscover the vibrancy and sustainability of a city centre lifestyle, and the subtle charms of mid-century modernism.

Between 2012 and 2022, the median sales price rose from £500,000 to just under £900,000, and three flats sold for over £3 million. And while The Barbican has long held a premium over values in the neighbouring borough of Islington, the gap has widened.

Barbican transaction values compared to Islington average to Apr-23

In early 2012, flats in the Barbican towers generally sold for just under £1 million but since 2018 they have typically fetched at least £1.5 million. Meanwhile, flats in the terraced blocks increased from around £500,000 to £800,000 in the same time period. 

This growth is also evident in the price per square foot. In the year to April 2013, flats sold for an average of £896 psf. In the year to April 2023, this had increased by just over 33 per cent to an average of £1,193. In comparison, average second-hand flat values in the borough of Islington were £615 and £856 psf, respectively.

Barbican cost per square foot compared to Islington average to Apr-23

The enduring popularity of The Barbican, designed not as a fortress but as a residential haven, is testament to the vision of a place created for people to embed themselves in all the social and cultural offerings of a dynamic metropolis. 

As with all historic buildings, the challenge for our many icons of architecture is to engage with sustainability without losing what makes them so inspiring. 

Further information

Contact Toby Parsloe

Click here to see a rare development opportunity within the Barbican Estate