Brutalist London
Brutalist architecture is as much about content as it is about surface. Dominated by raw materials (‘béton brut’) and modular repeating elements, brutalist buildings often have an imposing presence. At the same time, brutalist architecture was meant to transform social life. Part of the idea was to transform modernism itself, keeping its progressive attitude whilst also allowing for more organic interactions amongst citizens.
After its flourishing between the 1950s and the mid-1970s, brutalist architecture went on a retreat and was often associated with crumbling concrete and dilapidated estates. In recent years, however, brutalism has staged a comeback, with magazines and Instagram accounts celebrating the architectural style again.
The ‘Brutalist London’ series aims to explore the legacy of brutalist architecture and its relevance for modern urban life. The first part of the project (included here) takes brutalisms focus on surface to the extreme, removing the human figure and turning the buildings into monochrome abstractions in order to extract their fundamental building blocks. The second part will widen the gaze again and look at brutalist structures in the broader context of the city and urban life.
After its flourishing between the 1950s and the mid-1970s, brutalist architecture went on a retreat and was often associated with crumbling concrete and dilapidated estates. In recent years, however, brutalism has staged a comeback, with magazines and Instagram accounts celebrating the architectural style again.
The ‘Brutalist London’ series aims to explore the legacy of brutalist architecture and its relevance for modern urban life. The first part of the project (included here) takes brutalisms focus on surface to the extreme, removing the human figure and turning the buildings into monochrome abstractions in order to extract their fundamental building blocks. The second part will widen the gaze again and look at brutalist structures in the broader context of the city and urban life.