Southwyck House Brixton, Brutalist London Illustrated Art Greetings Card.

A neo Brutalist Icon.

Southwyck House, SW9 is known locally as the Barrier Block and presents a daunting edifice on Coldharbour Lane. The block’s layered construction towers over the street outside, with the horseshoe-shaped structure giving the appearance of a medieval fortress.

The windows are uncomfortable tiny, giving a feeling of claustrophobia from the outside. It’s harsh, neobrutalist-inspired architecture and concrete lines zig zagging through the length of the building, curling around the estate are a striking visual.

The Barrier Block was designed to protect the Somerleyton Estate from the inevitable pollution and traffic noise, which explains its tiny windows and unusual ‘zig-zag’ design – this was intended to ‘bounce’ the sound back to the ground.