The Barbican Cookbook
Recipes and stories from the people of the Barbican Estate.
The Concept
The Barbican Cookbook is a photographic portrait of life inside one of London’s most iconic housing estates.
Through portraits of residents in their homes, we explore the stories behind their personal recipes. The book reframes Brutalist architecture through domesticity, warmth, and food, revealing the human life inside a landmark often seen as cold and imposing.
There is endless curiosity about what goes on behind the concrete walls of the mysterious Estate. In this book, food becomes another way of understanding life in the Barbican.
Every recipe answers questions like:
Who lives here?
Why this recipe?
What does "home" mean in a building famous for its architecture rather than domestic life?
A recipe is rarely just a list of ingredients. It's a family history, a migration story, a comfort after a difficult day, or a reminder of someone no longer here. Through these recipes, the book explores how people create a sense of home within one of the world's most iconic buildings.
Why the Barbican?
Structure
Rather than be organised by food type, each chapter will represent one resident/household.
Each chapter gets between 4-6 pages:
Portrait
Photo of the flat
Story
Recipe
Photo of dish being prepared
Architectural details + objects
Photo of the final dish
Window view
Who is it for?
The Barbican Cookbook is more than a cookbook. It's a beautifully designed object that sits at the intersection of food, architecture and human stories, making it as gift-worthy as it is practical.
It will appeal to:
Barbican residents, past and present.
Londoners with an interest in architecture and design.
Visitors looking for a meaningful alternative to a traditional souvenir.
Food lovers drawn to recipes with personal stories.
People who enjoy beautifully photographed lifestyle and interiors books.
Like Barbican Residents, this is a book people will leave on their coffee table, gift to friends moving into the Estate, bring to dinner parties, and return to for both recipes and stories. Each resident offers a different window into life within the Barbican, and new potential favourite recipes, making the book one readers will dip into again and again.
Meet the Photographer
Hi, I’m Artemis.
In 2024 I went on a date with Alec, who lived in the Barbican. He gave me a tour and we ate tiramisu on the balcony overlooking the Estate. 3 months later, I moved in with him.
As I was falling in love with Alec, I was also falling in love with my new home; the architecture, the location, the history, the community.
We still make tiramisu on every anniversary, and that got me thinking about personal recipes - how the ritual of making that recipe keeps the core memory alive for us and how tied it is to this particular location.
I began to wonder what other recipes and stories were being lived and kept alive by my fellow neighbours? How much warmth and love and life was happening behind the imposing concrete walls?
Why me?
Anyone can photograph the Barbican.
Very few people can photograph inside Barbican homes.
My work is intimate, human and warm, creating space for people to feel comfortable enough to share their stories.
As both a resident and a Photographer, I want to create a portrait of the Barbican that celebrates not just its architecture, but the people who make it a home.
I'm looking for residents from every corner of the Barbican community - long-term residents, newcomers, families, artists, retirees and everyone in between. No cooking experience is required; the only thing I ask is that you share a recipe that means something to you.
What Participation Involves
One photography session at home (around 2 hours)
Photographs of one favourite dish
A short recorded conversation
Your recipe
Review of your text before publication
(Optional) video interview for Social Media to help promote the book
Notes
Natural light is imperative for these photographs so please bear in mind you will have to be available during the day for these shoots, and ideally timing it to when the most light is available in your flat, particularly the kitchen and living room areas.
Participating in the project does not guarantee inclusion in the final published book, as the final selection will be made during the editorial process.