How the Barbican's Beech Gardens Capture 'Urban Wilderness'

There’s perhaps no landmark more interesting, when it comes to modern architecture, than the Barbican Centre. Yet while it’s best known for its divisive brutalist buildings, you could argue it’s the surrounding gardens that really make it such a spectacle.

When first conceived, the Barbican’s gardens were stark and minimalist, but later brought to life with lush greenery after residents felt it a little too bleak. It’s a bold contrast — yes, it’s linear, reinforced-concrete architecture is dynamic and impressive in its own way, but it’s the softness of the naturalistic, yet structured planting that surrounds it that really makes the place feel magical.

It’s something Gina Taylor, founder of East London Garden Design, feels specifically about the Barbican Centre’s Beech Gardens, which inspire her own urban garden designs. “I’ve always loved the Barbican because it feels completely unexpected — this quite raw, Brutalist architecture softened by something deeply immersive and alive,” Gina tells me. “The Beech Gardens, by Nigel Dunnett, feel like a kind of urban wilderness. They’re not precious or overly designed in a traditional sense — they’re loose, dynamic, and constantly shifting.”

What plants are synonymous with this style of planting for you? What are the hero plants of the Beech gardens?

beech gardens at london's barbican building

“In the Beech Gardens, the idea of ‘hero plants’ shifts away from standout individuals and instead focuses on plants that define the character and rhythm of the space through repetition and presence.

The true heroes are the structural species that anchor the planting. Euphorbia characias is a key player, bringing that distinctive acid-green brightness and strong architectural form that holds the scheme together..

Alongside it, grasses like Helictotrichon sempervirens act as quiet but essential heroes— introducing movement, resilience, and a silvery-blue tone that threads consistently through the garden.”

“Another layer of hero plants emerges in the matrix — the species that are repeated in drifts and give the garden its cohesive, immersive feel. Grasses such as Sesleria nitida and Melica ciliata aren’t showy on their own, but en masse they become fundamental, knitting the planting together and creating that soft, naturalistic planting flow.

Then there are the seasonal heroes — to create rhythm and punctuation. Echinops and alliums play this role, delivering vertical accents and bursts of colour that move through the garden over time, reinforcing the sense of seasonality.”

Thompson & Morgan

Euphorbia Characias

Primrose

Helictotrichon sempervirens

Amazon

Echinops Ritro Blue

What lessons would you take from these gardens if you’re planning a garden in an urban plot?

“The key lesson from these gardens is to work with the conditions rather than trying to overcome them.

At the Barbican Estate, the planting responds directly to challenges like deep shade, exposed wind, and dry podium soils — and that responsiveness is what makes it so successful.

There’s also a clarity and confidence in the design approach. A restrained palette is used deliberately, allowing repetition to create impact rather than relying on lots of different species. Plants are arranged in drifts and blocks, which gives the space a strong visual rhythm and a sense of cohesion.

It shows that urban gardens don’t have to feel rigid or overly controlled. They can be loose, atmospheric, and naturalistic — while still being carefully and intelligently designed.”

The real magic of the Barbican’s gardens is that they’re not just there for aesthetics. “There’s a real intelligence behind that,” Gina says, “using planting as a system rather than decoration.”

And perhaps most importantly, they change how people use the space. The gardens invite you to slow down, to sit, to notice the seasons. That’s something I think all good planting should do — especially in a city.”