Concrete is one of the foundations of the modern world, with the extensive compressive strength of the material allowing for stronger and larger buildings to be possible.
Concrete is one of the foundations of the modern world, with the extensive compressive strength of the material allowing for stronger and larger buildings to be possible, with concrete repair possible via skilled workers and effective mixes.
Most of the time, however, concrete is both figuratively and often literally under the surface, but at one point the most popular architectural movement not only did not hide its concrete foundations but celebrated the material, with a polarising legacy that is loved and loathed in equal measure.
The Brutalism movement, which contrary to popular belief was named after the French word for “raw” and was initially defined in the 1950s as a reaction to a wave of architectural nostalgia in the 1940s that reflected a yearning for better days in the years immediately after the Second World War.
Reflecting that raw philosophy, brutalism is focused on function, design honesty and a celebration of the materials used to make buildings, which whilst often concrete due to the relatively low cost of the material can also include raw brick, wood and sand.
This honestly often translates into the transparency and exposure of internal elements of a building’s design, with structural pillars, functional rooms and points of elevation often highlighted through design elements.
As a design movement that inherently celebrated concrete in its rawest form, the movement was controversial almost from the start of its existence, with King Charles III writing lengthy diatribes about his particular hate for them.
There was a point where the vast majority of the British public agreed with him, particularly as the movement gave way to deconstructivist and structural expressionist movements that had a similar goal but were less reliant on showcasing raw industrial materials.
However, as many of the earliest and best examples of the movement become historical structures in their own right, brutalism has gained several supporters who celebrate the style.
One of the most notable examples of this was the decade-long, ultimately successful campaign to save Preston Bus Station from demolition and grant it listed building status, highlighting a growing appreciation for brutalism’s design ambition.