Brutalist book club: colossal compendiums of concrete architecture
![The indomitable residential complex](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/orWV4TWzPwjteFfvX53uNK-415-80.jpg)
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.
Boston City Hall was completed in 1968
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.
Hotel Rus, St Petersberg, built between 1980 and 1988
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.
The imposing and austere Leningrad Electrotechnical Institute in St Petersberg
Completed in 1972, the Christchurch Townhall comprises a 2600-seat main auditorium, the 1000-seat James Hay Theatre, a stage box, two conference rooms, a riverside restaurant and pre-function foyer area. When it opened, it began a new era for modern civic architecture in New Zealand
The Birmingham Central Library, which stood between 1974 and 2016 – the building failed to get listed status in the UK
This high rise named La Pyramid in Abidjan, Ivory Coast has now gone into disrepair
INFORMATION
Finding Brutalism and SOS Brutalism: A Global Survey are published by Park Books and Redefining Brutalism is published by RIBA Books
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
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.
-
Commune’s sustainable personal care products look ‘quite unlike anything else’
Commune’s Somerset-made products stand out in the sustainable skincare crowd. Madeleine Rothery speaks with the brand’s co-founders Kate Neal and Rémi Paringaux
By Madeleine Rothery Published
-
‘Hedonistic and avant-garde’: Rabanne’s Julian Dossena on the legacy of the chainmail 1969 bag
Paco Rabanne’s 1969 chainmail handbag encapsulates the late designer’s futuristic, space-age style. Current creative director Julien Dossena tells Wallpaper* about the bag’s particular pleasures
By Jack Moss Published
-
Postcard from Paris: Olympic fever takes over the streets
On the eve of the opening ceremony of Paris 2024, our correspondent shares her views from the streets of the capital about how the event is impacting the urban landscape.
By Minako Norimatsu Published
-
‘A Time ⋅ A Place’ is a lovingly compiled photographic portrait of cars and architecture
‘A Time ⋅ A Place’ is a celebration of the European Car of the Year and changing perceptions of modern design, pairing the best buildings of the age with their automotive contemporaries
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Álvaro Siza’s new monograph through the lens of Duccio Malagamba is impactful and immersive
Álvaro Siza and photographer Duccio Malagamba collaborate on a new monograph by Phaidon; ‘Before / After: Álvaro Siza Duccio Malagamba’ celebrates the Portuguese architect's work
By Michael Webb Published
-
Remembering Alexandros Tombazis (1939-2024), and the Metabolist architecture of this 1970s eco-pioneer
Back in September 2010 (W*138), we explored the legacy and history of Greek architect Alexandros Tombazis, who this month celebrates his 80th birthday.
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
The newest Centre Point Residences’ showcase is a masterful balance of art and furniture
Conran and Partners’ new apartment design for Centre Point Residences balances artwork and curated furniture and objects to craft a space that feels intimate yet luxurious
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Frank Lloyd Wright architecture: from Prairie House to Guggenheim New York
Frank Lloyd Wright, hailed among the 20th century's greatest architects, has left a rich legacy that inspires to this day; here, we invite you to dive into his world
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
John Lautner’s Sheats-Goldstein Residence shows off its estate’s entertainment wing
The Goldstein Entertainment Complex at the estate of the Sheats-Goldstein Residence reveals its newest additions by the complex’s architects of record Conner + Perry Architects
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
‘Brutalist Plants’ is a new monograph capturing the best of eco-brutalism
'Brutalist Plants,' the new book by Olivia Broome, captures concrete architecture engulfed with nature
By Tianna Williams Published
-
We tour Caracas’ treasure trove of modernist architecture gems
Explore Caracas; the Venezuelan capital is full of midcentury modern and brutalist architecture with a tropical twist
By Adam Štěch Published