Celebrate the angular joys of 'Brutal Scotland', a new book from Simon Phipps

'Brutal Scotland' chronicles one country’s relationship with concrete; is brutalism an architectural bogeyman or a monument to a lost era of aspirational community design?

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Bourdon Building, The Glasgow School of Art, 1970–77, Keppie Henderson & Partners, as seen in book 'Brutal Scotland'
Brutal Scotland, Simon Phipps
(Image credit: Simon Phipps / Duckworth Books)

Author Simon Phipps is a man obsessed. An artist, sculptor and photographer, he is also at the vanguard of brutalist architecture’s evolution from cultural bête noire to the kind of passionate obsession that smart young people put on their dating profiles. His exploration has, so far, spanned the course of no less than seven books: Finding Brutalism, Brutal London, Concrete Poetry, Brutal North, Brutal Outer London, Brutal Wales Cymru Friwtalaidd, and now Brutal Scotland.

Brutal Scotland, Simon Phipps

(Image credit: Duckworth Books)

A map of Brutal Scotland

A map of Brutal Scotland

(Image credit: Duckworth Books)

Flick through the pages of 'Brutal Scotland'

Throughout all these tomes, Phipps has turned his often unsparing lens on the architectural heavyweights of the 1950s, 60s and 70s, finding raw beauty in their monumentality, as well as social optimism, progressive politics and the vanishing art of the abstract and obtuse in public life.

Dollan Aqua Centre, East Kilbride, 1963-65, Alexander Buchanan Campbell

Dollan Aqua Centre, East Kilbride, 1963-65, Alexander Buchanan Campbell

(Image credit: Simon Phipps / Duckworth Books)

McCance Building, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, 1962–63, Covell Matthews & Partners

McCance Building, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, 1962–63, Covell Matthews & Partners

(Image credit: Simon Phipps / Duckworth Books)

In his latest book, published by Duckworth Press, Phipps has turned his attention to Scotland’s rich and often maligned trove of Brutalist structures, or should we say, the ones that have survived demolition. In all, there are over 160 buildings in the new book, from well-known structures in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen to the more obscure and overlooked, from megastructures to modest community centres.

Clydesdale Bank (now Virgin Money), Kilmarnock, 1975-76, Hay, Steel & Partners

Clydesdale Bank (now Virgin Money), Kilmarnock, 1975-76, Hay, Steel & Partners

(Image credit: Simon Phipps, Duckworth Books)

Gordon Aikman Lecture Theatre (previously George Square Theatre), University of Edinburgh, 1965–70, Robert Matthew, Johnson-Marshall & Partners (RMJM)

Gordon Aikman Lecture Theatre (previously George Square Theatre), University of Edinburgh, 1965–70, Robert Matthew, Johnson-Marshall & Partners (RMJM)

(Image credit: Simon Phipps / Duckworth Books)

Some of these buildings are visibly neglected, others have been repurposed and a happy few are protected and cherished. Not all will survive, although buildings like Gillespie, Kidd & Coia’s St Peter’s Seminary near Cardross (1959–66) look set to remain as slowly decaying ruins. Overall, Phipps’s work performs a vital service, giving an overlooked architectural style a much-needed boost – some of them have never looked so good.

Woodside, Glasgow, 1970-74, Boswell, Mitchell & Johnston

Woodside, Glasgow, 1970-74, Boswell, Mitchell & Johnston

(Image credit: Simon Phipps / Duckworth Books)

Brutal Scotland, Simon Phipps, £30, DuckworthBooks.co.uk

Jonathan Bell

Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.