What's your favourite bit of brutalist architecture?
- Thread starter Yellow Fang
- Start date
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Reynard
Guru
- Location
- Cambridgeshire, UK
I don't have terribly good memories of the place, but it was definitely an interesting place to be in and around. Especially when you look down from the walkways to see the old Roman architecture.
All uphill
Still rolling along
- Location
- Somerset
Called brutalist because of the use of " beton brut", meaning raw concrete.
Some brutalist building can appear a bit brutal, but others, imo, are joyous in their apparent simplicity and harmonius proportions.
That seminary at Cardross for example.
Personally, in general with all Brutalist architecture, it's a shame they did not get an architect involved right from the start.
No one, even in a couple of hundred years time, will ever call these structures "beautiful".
I suspect in a couple on hundred years time, they will presume it was put together on the cheap at a time of austerity.
No one, even in a couple of hundred years time, will ever call these structures "beautiful".
I suspect in a couple on hundred years time, they will presume it was put together on the cheap at a time of austerity.
All uphill
Still rolling along
- Location
- Somerset
Bonefish Blues
Banging donk
- Location
- 52 Festive Road
Er, architects were involved from the outset. It's as valid a style as any, albeit more divisive than most. I'd still very much rather this than some of the awful pastiches one sees. Poundbury anyone?!
Grant Fondo
Guru
- Location
- Cheshire
a lot of their buildings are superb ... Wadham College library is one I visited, pretty brutal exterior, bloody lovely inside.
Gillespie, Kidd & Coia
Reynard
Guru
- Location
- Cambridgeshire, UK
And as with any style (and this is true outside architecture too), it's a fairly broad church, and some examples are executed in a far more harmonious manner than others.
Seriously ?
Q: Would you prefer to live in Poundbury or Thamesmead ?
(You may substitute for any brutalist large housing estate)
If I was tasked with building a large estate today, I'd start with Poundbury as a basis and then try to improve it.
It was not an accident that Clockwork Orange was filmed in Thamesmead.
Bonefish Blues
Banging donk
- Location
- 52 Festive Road
Beebo
Firm and Fruity
- Location
- Hexleybeef
The fact that Thamesmead is currently in the middle of a £300million face lift probably answers your question.
Most of the brutal architecture has gone now.
matticus
Guru
Burn the heretic!!!
Just caught up with this. Ma Bollo did her hairdressing city and guilds there in the mid 60s. I’ll check with her but always have a memory of her referring to it as “Owen’s College for Knowledge”.
Bonefish Blues
Banging donk
- Location
- 52 Festive Road
I know little of Thamesmead beyond a perception it has been something of a 'sink' estate for some long while?
Beebo
Firm and Fruity
- Location
- Hexleybeef
Its reputation is probably undeserved, but I still wouldn’t want to live there.
The arrival of the new Elizabeth line will hopefully improve its fortunes.
