The brutal beauty of concrete buildings

[M II A II R II K]

THE BRUTAL BEAUTY OF CONCRETE BUILDINGS


31 JUL 2015

BY RACHEL DOYLE AND ANIKA BURGESS

Read More: http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles...rete-buildings

Brutalism is one of the more controversial architectural styles of the 20th century. Named from the French word for rough concrete, béton brut, the blocky, rugged aesthetic of buildings from the 1950s to the 1970s is revered by some, but disliked even more intensely by others.

- Meanwhile colleges, like the University of Massachusetts and the University of East Anglia, that adopted brutalism at the height of its fashion are frequently accused of having sterile, totalitarian-looking campuses. Brutalist municipal and apartment buildings dotted around both countries are often in danger of being demolished or inappropriately renovated.

- The highly controversial style was most commonly expressed in buildings constructed from the mid-1950s to early 1970s. It came out of the modernist movement and the interest in stripping ornamental elements and instead relying on clean lines and 'honest' detailing. Although most of the modernist ideals can be applied to brutalist buildings, brutalism has no official definition, and is associated more with a feeling of the viewer than a defined list of requirements.

- While most buildings with the brutalist label are concrete, that is not part of the origin of the term. The architects Alison and Peter Smithson used the term to describe their construction method of exposing the structure and not masking the interior with finishes, allowing occupants to see how the building was built and functions. It was later, when Le Corbusier described his use of breton brut, raw concrete, that brutalism was associated with concrete.

- Thanks to the evolution of modernism, and a growing need for municipal buildings, universities and low­-income housing, there was an explosion of brutalist buildings. I think it tells us that the artists, including architects, wanted to express themselves in a more humanistic way, hence Le Corbusier’s desire for architecture that felt like it was created by man. Since concrete was inexpensive and efficient, it was often selected in this time period when many public buildings were constructed.

.....