The Barbican Centre is actually part of the Barbican Estate, an iconic residential and cultural complex in the heart of the city. The Barbican is known for its striking brutalist architecture. Built between the 1960s and 1980s, the Barbican Estate was designed by the architects Chamberlin, Powell and Bon and, in addition to the Barbican Centre - the cultural and conference centre - includes more than 2,000 apartments spread across highly visible high-rise buildings and terraced buildings. The Barbican Estate is an important example of post-war architecture and urban planning and enjoys the status of a listed building. The complex is built over a district that was largely destroyed by German bombing in World War II. Old parts of the city walls and the church of St Giles-without-Cripplegate have been preserved. This creates a very unique architectural mixture, enriched by green spaces and waterways, which is absolutely worth visiting. Access to the public highwalks is possible from several surrounding streets via stairs and ramps.