Barbican Sculpture + Post Office: Two Triangles of Integration
Concept Overview
The project reimagines urban communication through two triangular geometries that integrate the Barbican Sculpture and the Post Office. Three load-bearing walls form two independent but interactive triangles, and the angled wall in the middle becomes the connection point between the two spaces, thereby establishing a visual dialogue between art and daily functions.
The Barbican Sculpture uses the secretary design method, where linear openings frame a part of Rachel Whiteread’s sculpture and offer people the feeling of “I wanna see more about inside”. In contrast to the closed environment of the Barbican Sculpture, the Post Office uses windows for transparency and has efficient circulation. Similar to Whiteread’s Void Monument, this building visualizes the invisible connections.
Spatial Strategy
The core space of the Barbican Sculpture is the Skyline Exhibit, a double-height area for the large sculpture. It connects directly to the Open Exhibit, Horizon Exhibit and Mid-Size Exhibit, forming a continuous sequence. The main service space of the Post Office is also centrally located, while the Write & Storage Station sits along the angled wall to reinforce interaction between the two triangular geometries.
The Post Office circulation begins at the Postal Gate. Visitors enter the Sales Hub for packaging boxes, turn right to pack items at the Operation Hub, proceed to the Service Hub to send them, and exit at the end. For the Barbican Sculpture, visitors enter from the Exhibition Gateway, descend to the Skyline Exhibit, explore each exhibit, then take the elevator back to the ground floor, where they directly see the Service & Post Corner. This point links the two programs functionally. After buying postcards, visitors can immediately enter the Post Office to mail them, emphasizing the connection between art and daily life.
Two entirely different spatial experiences appear. From the Barbican Sculpture, people can only glimpse a tiny space and sculpture through linear openings, but once inside, they see the full spatial and sculptural composition. From the Post Office, the experience is reversed: the whole interior is visible from outside, but upon entering, small eye-level linear openings guide views toward the large sculpture in the adjacent space. The Barbican Sculpture exposes steel beams and concrete slabs to create a cold, rational atmosphere, while the Post Office uses all-wood joinery and a timber ceiling for warmth. The central angled wall keeps its brick texture, and other walls use white plasterboards, highlighting the angled wall.
Construction Strategy
The main structure of the building is a cavity wall supported by steel beams. Copper panels form the roof, which is carried by primary I-beams, secondary I-beams and purlins. The triangular timber skylight of the Barbican Sculpture introduces natural light into the interior. Its form echoes the architectural geometry and its materiality links back to the Post Office. The Post Office uses south-facing windows and its triangular outdoor space to introduce the mottled light and shadow of the large English Oak.
The two entrances use triangular metal frames to emphasise the architectural geometry, and the window of the Post Office follows the same strategy. The internal waiting area is created by setting seats in the connecting zone. In the basement, the Mid-Size Exhibit displays Paperbacks about bookshelves, so the space simulates a library layout and blurs the boundaries between art and life.