Torre Velasca by BBPR.
1958, Milan, Italy.
(Photo:Stock Photosfrom Claudio Divizia/Shutterstock)This post may contain affiliate links.
Torre Velasca by BBPR. 1958, Milan, Italy. (Photo:Stock Photosfrom Claudio Divizia/Shutterstock)This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase, My Modern Met may earn an affiliate commission. Please readour disclosurefor more info.
If you make a purchase, My Modern Met may earn an affiliate commission.
hey readour disclosurefor more info.
They say that trends are circular and what’s old becomes new again.
This is true for fashion, music, and art.
In the case of architecture, there’s noarchitectural stylethat exemplifies this principle better thanBrutalism.
But that’s all changing now, with a renewed interest and appreciation for this once derided architectural style.
Robin Hood Gardens by Alison and Peter Smithson. 1972, London, England. (Photo:Stock Photosfrom Claudio Divizia/Shutterstock)
They were also used for important residential buildings to get to rationally address the critical need for housing.
But why is brutalism called brutalism, is it because of its brutal and rough appearance?
Brutalism is actually a specific branch of modern architecture.
Photo:Stock Photosfrom Philip Openshaw/Shutterstock
The Origins of Brutalism
Some believe that Swiss-French architectLe Corbusiers love of concrete may have started Brutalism.
Brutalism officially started around this time period and quickly spread.
The trend was picked up by English architects where the style was further honed by Alison and Peter Smithson.
Photo:Stock Photosfrom Ryan Kelehar/Shutterstock
Together they are particularly known for East London’sRobin Hood Gardenscouncil housing complex.
In 2017 the eastern block was demolished as part of a refurbishment plan.
Robin Hood Gardens by Alison and Peter Smithson.
Photo:Stock Photosfrom Diego Grandi/Shutterstock
1972, London, England.
Aside from the aging of concrete, Brutalism seems especially hated.
This is because cities were struggling to deal with the need for quick and efficient housing.
Photo:Stock Photosfrom meunierd/Shutterstock
Raw concrete made the perfect canvas forgraffitiartists, whose vandalism only contributed to the decline of these structures.
Throughout the 1980s, the style gave way to theHigh-tech architectureandDeconstructivism, which would make way forPost-Modern architecture.
Countless Brutalist buildings have been torn down since the style went out of fashion in the ’80s.
Photo:Stock Photosfrom jiawangku/Shutterstock
I noticed more and more interest in brutalist architecture, shesays.
People were excited about it and loved the graphic quality of it.
Brutalist buildings are expensive to maintain and difficult to destroy.
Photo:Stock Photosfrom Tupungato/Shutterstock
They can’t be easily remodeled or changed, so they tend to stay the way the architect intended.
Take a look at some of the world’s finest examples of Brutalist architecture.
Geisel Library by William Pereira.
Photo:Stock Photosfrom Martyn Jandula/Shutterstock
Pereira designed the structure to look like hands holding up a stack of books.
National Library of the Argentine Republic by Clorindo Testa.
Construction didn’t actually begin until 1971, with the library being inaugurated in 1992.
Photo:Stock Photosfrom Ron Ellis/Shutterstock
Political upheaval and continual changes in leadership led to long delays in the execution of Testa’s vision.
Habitat 67 by Moshe Safdie.
It was later constructed for the 1967World’s Fair.
Photo: Sengkang viaWikimedia Commons(GFDLorCC BY-SA 3.0)
This included gardens, fresh air, and privacy.Habitat 67is now one of the most recognizable buildings in Montreal.
Boston City Hall by Kallmann McKinnell & Knowles.
The lower levels are often accessed by the public, while the intermediary levels house public officials.
Photo: Gunnar Klack viaWikimedia Commons(CC BY-SA 4.0)
Barbican Estate by Chamberlin, Powell, and Bon.
It is one of the most prominent examples of British Brutalist architecture and is a Grade II listed building.
Telecommunication Centre and Central Post Office by Janko Konstantinov.
Photo:Stock Photosfrom Claudio Divizia/Shutterstock
ArchitectJanko Konstantinovuses concrete in a sculptural manner to bring a decorative effect to a building without cladding.
In theTelecommunication Centre and Central Post Officethe raw, exposed concrete takes center stage.
Royal National Theater by Sir Denys Lasdun.
Instead, architecture enthusiasts appreciateDenys Lasduns harmonious use of horizontal and vertical elements.
TripleOne Somerset by Group 2 Architects.
Influenced by the design of Boston City Hall, the building has an emphasis on the horizontal.
This is evidenced by the protruding rows of staggered fins that create movement and provide shade.
Pirelli Tire Building by Marcel Breuer & Robert F. Gatje.
Trellick Tower by Erno Goldfinger.
Goldfinger’s design includes 217 apartments, all of which have balconies.
Special touches like sliding doors help save space while large windows give residents access to natural light.
Rudolph Hall, Yale Art & Architecture Building by Paul Rudolph.
ArchitectPaul Rudolphwas greatly influenced by bothFrank Lloyd Wrightand Le Corbusier.
Western City Gate by Mihajlo Mitrovic.
Its location along the road leading from the airport into the city center makes it the perfect gateway.
The smaller tower is now empty but was once occupied by the state-run Genex Group.
