Brutalist book club: colossal compendiums of concrete architecture
Hefty monographs about concrete were everywhere in 2017. Once a marginalised and maligned genre, brutalism has burst back onto the design scene, cited as inspiration by a new generation seduced by the authenticity and heroic ambitions of this impressive architecture.
Yet as well as being fetishised for its rough and ready qualities, there’s also a growing desire to preserve the best examples of concrete architecture in the face of widespread indifference and downright hostility.
The end of 2017 saw three big books tackling different aspects of buildings built of concrete. Photographer Simon Phipps’ Finding Brutalism is perhaps the most straightforward.
Phipps presents a less glamorous take on British concrete architecture, unafraid to portray this architecture rather less than glamorous by lingering over the stains, streaks and brooding massing that – depending on your point of view – make concrete architecture either boldly authentic or bleakly awful. Close cropping and framing also reduces these buildings to a series of abstract forms, removing their scale, monumentality and occasional oppressiveness.
From rich imagery we move on to incisive analysis, courtesy of another book for the brutalist bookshelf. Simon Henley’s Redefining Brutalism seeks the bits of brutalist architecture that are still relevant in order to reclaim them for contemporary practice.
As an award-winning architect at London practice Henley Halebrown, he knows a thing or about a materials-led approach but most importantly of all, Henley’s brutalism isn’t fixated on raw, board-marked concrete, but on the social idealism that underpinned so many of these buildings. The best brutalist buildings were an aesthetic and programmatic response to a more egalitarian society, free from the hierarchies of traditional architectural design. Now, more than ever, we need this kind of approach.
Finally, we have SOS Brutalism, a monumental survey of the more esoteric expressions of concrete architecture around the world, with a special focus on those that are threatened by alteration or demolition.
This impressive book, which grew out of a collaboration between the Deutsches Architekturmuseum and Wüstenrot Foundation and was edited by Oliver Elser, Philip Kurz, Peter Cachola Schmal, is a treasure trove of unsung buildings and oddities, including works in Russia, the Middle East and Asia. Covering the period between 1950 and 1970, it uses new photography and archive imagery to rally for preservation and recognition, making it a must for lovers of architecture’s more far-flung fringes. Lovers of raw surfaces, bold forms and naked concrete are spoilt for choice.
INFORMATION
Finding Brutalism and SOS Brutalism: A Global Survey are published by Park Books and Redefining Brutalism is published by RIBA Books
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
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.
-
Aston Martin DBX707 SUV is updated with a new interior and infotainment
The new Aston Martin DBX707 has better tech, better design but the same raw power, keeping its spot at the top of the ultra-SUV tree
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Dark watches show it’s time to embrace an inky palette
Discover new dark watches from brands including Audemars Piguet, Omega, Chanel and Tudor
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Maruni's new collections combine Japanese skills with humble functionality
Presented at Salone del Mobile 2024, Maruni's new collections include furniture by the brand's art director Naoto Fukasawa as well as Cecilie Manz and Jasper Morrison
By Danielle Demetriou Published
-
Marcio Kogan’s Studio MK27 celebrated in this new monograph from Rizzoli
‘The Architecture of Studio MK27. Lights, camera, action’ is a richly illustrated journey through the evolution of this famed Brazilian architecture studio
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Modernist architecture: inspiration from across the globe
Modernist architecture has had a tremendous influence on today’s built environment, making these midcentury marvels some of the most closely studied 20th-century buildings; check back soon for new additions to our list
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Louis Kahn's modernist mastermind celebrated through new collaborations
The legacy of modernist architect Louis Kahn lives on to inspire a new generation, thanks to collaborations with family and fans
By Marina Cashdan Published
-
‘Interior sculptor’ Christophe Gevers’ oeuvre is celebrated in new book
‘Christophe Gevers’ is a sleek monograph dedicated to the Belgian's life work as an interior architect, designer, sculptor and inventor, with unseen photography by Jean-Pierre Gabriel
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Royan Architecture Month showcases French modernism by the sea
Royan Architecture Month 2024 launches in the French city, where many travel to see midcentury builds by the sea, from Notre Dame church to Palais des Congrès
By Stacy Suaya Published
-
Giovanni Michelucci’s dramatic concrete church in the Italian Dolomites
Giovanni Michelucci’s concrete Church of Santa Maria Immacolata in the Italian Dolomites is a reverently uplifting memorial to the victims of a local disaster
By Jonathan Glancey Published
-
‘London Estates’ surveys the architecture and influence of the capital’s council-built homes
‘London Estates: Modernist Council Housing 1946-1981’, a new book by FUEL, is the perfect place to start for inspiration on how architecture can improve every sector of society
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Afrobeats and modernism: how the concrete ‘ruins’ of Lagos become a stage
We explore the relationship between Afrobeats and modernism in Lagos, as the Nigerian capital’s concrete structures become a stage for the music genre
By Olorunfemi Adewuyi Published