Your Area, Your Point of View: The Barbican

Note: The author's views are entirely his or her own and may not reflect the views of RetoxMagazine.com

The Barbican in London

The Barbican Centre is a centre for performing arts, music and cinema as well as several residential towers based in the City of London. The centre was designed by Chamberlin, Powell and Bon in the Brutalist Architectural style which was my main reason for shooting here. The complex, opened in 1982 after being developed after the area was heavily bombed during WWII.

The Barbican in London.

It has 2 underground stations connected by countless walkways that run throughout the complex, all with painted lines leading you through the complex. Walking round on your own is quite daunting if you don't know where you are going and it is quite easy to get lost. The space is used remarkably well, and there is so much open space inside the complex that its perfect for taking pictures. Plus is very safe with the City of London Police HQ just off site and being a listed building.

The Barbican in London.

My inspiration taken from this part of London was one of a futuristic and dystopian theme, George Orwell, 1984. My personal work usually has a dark, sexy & sinister edge and I love shooting architecture so it seemed like the perfect place to bring the 2 together. What I love about this location is the versatility. Depending on the time of day, the reflections from the concrete, the shapes caused by the shadows and the dark corners and crevasses are all there to be exploited. Also, the buildings are all so grand but in a different way from buildings like St.Pauls or the Royal Albert Hall. It's Brutalist Architectural Grandeur.

The Barbican in London.

The Barbican in London.

The Barbican in London.

The Barbican in London.

The Barbican in London.