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Milton Court Barbican, Moor Lane, London EC2 Milton Court was conceived as the very first building of the Barbican Estate. Located at its far northeast corner, the former fire station is topped by offices and two storeys of residential units. The twelve maisonettes are separated from the rest of the building through pilotis. At the time of its construction Milton Court was described by the architects as ‘a receptacle for odd and pressing needs’, as its varied uses show. Architecturally the building forms a historic link between 1950s design of the Golden Lane Estate and the more rough, brutalist architecture of the Barbican Estate, to which it is linked via a footbridge. The building has tremendous sculptural qualities. The interplay between openings and closures is particularly interesting, especially the fact that the top two floors are detached from the rest of the building via an open space. Here the modernist idea of the open ground floor is interpreted anew, following the arrangements of different functions within the building. The fire station is now vacant and so are some of the flats. The owner of the building, the Corporation of London, has shown interest in demolishing the building and redeveloping the site, arguing that it does not form part of the Barbican due to its early date and its architectural difference. In 2002 Milton Court was turned down for listing, thereby making it vulnerable and a target for redevelopment schemes. In late 2003 the Guildhall School of Music and Drama moved some of its rehearsal studios to the building for which it holds a three-year lease. In the long term, however, the building is at risk – sustainable plans including its refurbishment as student accommodation for the Guildhall School never materialised, and the Corporation seems keen to keep its options open. Cordula Zeidler
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