Brutalism

The rise and fall and subsequent rise again of Brutalist architecture in Britain is a fascinating story of an architectural style that strove to unify but in reality divided public opinion, and continues to do so. Derived from the French phrase beton brut, meaning raw concrete, the name brutalism identified the emerging style of angular and sculptural form and rough, exposed materials. The pioneering architects of the style optimistically believed they were forging a new utopia, and their confidence is apparent in the “truth to materials’ approach, creating uncompromising, bold, even bolshy buildings. Le Corbusier’s Unite d'habitation in Marseilles first set the bar, but it was in Britain that architects such as Peter and Alison Smithson, (Economist Plaza, Robin Hood Gardens, Hunstanton school,) Leslie Martin, (Royal Festival Hall,) Jack Lynn and Ivor Smith (Park Hill, Sheffield) Keith Ingham (Preston bus station) and Owen Luder (Tricorn centre, Portsmouth) honed the style which came to define the 1960s and ‘70s. After decades of vilification, brutalism today is enjoying a resurgence of popularity. The original, socialist principles of the movement are being rediscovered and reappraised. Like it or loath it, brutalist architecture is ever-present in the British landscape, from car parks and bus garages to schools, universities, cultural centres and of course the ubiquitous residential tower blocks.