DAY 1
I was expecting St. Paul’s cathedral to be my highlight of Day 1, but the Barbican Centre surprised me with its alluring landscape and incredible architecture. I didn’t know much about Barbican before, but after walking into the area, it felt like a whole new world to me. The loud sounds of the city were drowned out with the sounds of water splashing, and the eclectic styles that previously surrounded us turned into a tight knit group of brutalist buildings. After learning about failed affordable housing communities in the US, seeing a similar type of community (though not necessarily low income housing) was inspiring, and exciting.
A facade of one of the many apartment buildings in Barbican, highlighting both the greenery and concrete and the way the building sits on the site.
A view of the major area of congregation in Barbican.
Most in our group left shortly after we split up, but myself (and a few others) stuck around and explored most of the area. Even not having seen what an apartment looks like, I would live there in a heartbeat.