Barbican Centre: Concrete Models of London’s Brutalist Landmark

The Barbican Centre is one of the most ambitious and recognisable examples of Brutalist architecture in the world. Designed by Chamberlin, Powell and Bon, this vast complex in the City of London was conceived in the 1960s as a vision of modern urban living and culture, combining housing, theatres, galleries, a library, gardens, and public squares in a single interconnected design.

Its layered terraces, raised walkways, and bold concrete forms create a city within a city, while details like bush-hammered surfaces and rhythmic facades show a level of craft and texture that reward close attention. Today, the Barbican is both a working arts centre and a Grade II-listed icon of postwar architecture.

This collection brings together my miniature concrete models inspired by the Barbican’s architecture, capturing the massing, texture, and sculptural presence of its most celebrated forms. Whether you’re a Londoner, an architect, or a Brutalism enthusiast, these pieces are made to honour one of the UK’s greatest feats of modernist design.

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About Spaceplay’s Brutalist Models and Designs

Every piece I make starts with a real building that is studied, drawn, and transformed into a work you can hold, display, or share as a gift. My collections include miniature concrete models, layered wood reliefs, and black-and-white risograph prints, all inspired by the forms, textures, and details of Brutalist and modernist architecture from the UK and around the world.

Each model is hand-cast in small batches using custom moulds that I make, with designs based on iconic landmarks, social housing estates, tower blocks, and civic buildings. From Trellick Tower and the National Theatre to Alexandra and Ainsworth Estate, Centre Point, and the Barbican Centre, these pieces pay tribute to some of the most recognisable and celebrated examples of postwar concrete architecture.

Whether you’re searching for architectural gifts, Brutalist home décor, or a collectible sculpture that connects to a personal memory, these collections are designed for architects, designers, students, collectors, and anyone drawn to the bold geometry and raw materiality of Brutalism.