Imagining the Barbican Lake: Lakeside Pyramid

An alternative vision of the Barbican

Andrewes House: Sales Brochure - Page 1/12 by Corporation of London and Barbican Estate OfficeBarbican Centre

Imagining the Barbican Lake

Here you can see the lake pictured by Andrewes House, which is named after Lancelot Andrewes (1555-1626), a famous preacher and later Bishop whose first job was at the Barbican’s church, St Giles Cripplegate. 

Barbican Estate Sales Brochure - Page 30/35 by Corporation of London and Barbican Estate OfficeBarbican Centre

St Giles Cripplegate

Here is a drawing of the Barbican's church, St Giles Cripplegate, on the other side of the lake.

Andrewes House: Sales Brochure - Page 1/12 by Corporation of London and Barbican Estate OfficeBarbican Centre

Imagining the Barbican Lake

The lake was designed alongside walkways at the lakeside and podium level.

View of the Grand Canal: Santa Maria della Salute and the Dogana from Campo Santa Maria Zobenigo (about 1743) by Bernardo BellottoThe J. Paul Getty Museum

Inspired by Venice

In designing the Barbican’s lake and its surroundings, the Barbican’s architects Chamberlin Powell and Bon were particularly influenced by the watery Italian City of Venice.

Speed House: Sales Brochure - Page 1/6 by Corporation of London and Barbican Estate OfficeBarbican Centre

The Lake Pyramid

Both Andrewes House and Speed House overlook the Barbican Lakeside. In the version shown here, a glass pyramid is shown as a feature. This is nearly twenty years before the famous pyramid at the centre of the Louvre Museum in Paris.

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The pyramid at the Louvre Museum, Paris.

Speed House: Sales Brochure - Page 1/6 by Corporation of London and Barbican Estate OfficeBarbican Centre

The Lake Pyramid

Speed House is named after John Speed (1551-1629), a mapmaker and historian who is buried in St Giles Cripplegate.

The Lake Pyramid

The pyramid conservatory in the lake appears in various early drawings and architectural models of the Barbican.

The Lake Pyramid

The pyramid later became the conservatory as we know it today, built not on the lake but over the theatre's fly tower.

Speed House and Willoughby House, Barbican Estate, City of London (1974) by John Laing and Son LtdHistoric England

Speed House

Here you can see the same view of Speed House and the lake, without the proposed pyramid.

Water Chute at Barbican, City of London (2010-10-11) by James O DaviesHistoric England

Speed House

Instead there is a waterfall cascading into the lake.

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Take a look at what this area of the lake looks like today.

The Barbican Centre (1980-01-10/1980-01-10) by Peter BloomfieldBarbican Centre

The Conservatory

The glass pyramid design moved from the lake and became the conservatory we have today.

The Barbican Centre (1980-03-10/1980-03-10) by Peter BloomfieldBarbican Centre

The Conservatory

The design is very similar to the one in the original artist's impression - take a look back to compare them.

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