a+t architecture publishers

On winning the Barbican competition, Chamberlin, Powell and Bon were commissioned to design a proposal to raise the amount of dwellings density to the City by incorporating not only residential uses but also providing education and culture-centred buildings. The aim was for the heart of the city to appeal to the widest range of potential residents who could afford to pay a reasonable rent.

Five different mixes were introduced for the layout. The first was direction-related, mixing long blocks with towers. The second was typology-related, combining high-rise access shafts with interior passageways, with communal staircases for two dwellings per floor, and terraced houses. Thirdly, the option of the semi-open block aligned to the road in some cases and in other cases integrated into the network of pedestrian walkways. Fourthly, mixing private, semi-public, and public open spaces with water features, vegetation and hard pavements. Finally, mixing education and culture-related uses into the residential programme with a drawing power which reached far beyond the sphere of the local area.

Photos by a+t research group.

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