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.
