Brutalism

Brutalism was the term applied to a particular strand of the Modernist architectural movement during the 1960s and 1970s, and was associated with certain followers of Swiss architect, Le Corbusier (and in particular his Unité d'Habitation building) and of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. The term originates from the French béton brut, or "raw concrete" - the style being characterised by exposed rough concrete and large blockish designs.

Architects associated with this style include Erno Goldfinger, husband-and-wife pairing Peter and Alison Smithson, and, to a lesser extent perhaps, Sir Denys Lasdun. Buildings in this style include Goldfinger's Balfron, Trellick Towers in London, Park Hill in Sheffield and Louis Kahn's Dhaka National Assembly.
Brutalist designs are often criticised as eyesores. Because the style is essentially that of poured concrete it tends to be inexpensive to build and maintain (but very difficult to modify). However, in the case of Trellick Tower, the design has ultimately proved very popular with both tenants and owner-occupier residents.

Other Brutalist structures

• Brantford City Hall, Brantford, Ontario
• Boston City Hall, Boston, Massachusetts
• Cameron Offices, Canberra, Australia (demolished)
• Chapel on the Water, Hokkaido, Japan
• Chateau Granville hotel, Vancouver, British Columbia
• The Evergreen State College, most administrative buildings, Olympia, Washington
• Group Residence for Young Adults, Manhattan, New York, New York (possibly demolished)
• High Court building, Canberra, Australia
• Islamic Cultural Center, Manhattan, New York, New York
• Manhattan Church of Christ, Manhattan, New York, New York
• Chapel of Notre Dame du Haut, Ronchamp, France
• Pan Am Building, New York, New York
• Regenstein Library, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
• John P. Robarts Research Library, Toronto, Ontario (demolished)
• Monastery of Saint Marie de la Tourette, Eveux-sur-Arbresle, France
• Simon Fraser University, most buildings and plazas, Burnaby, British Columbia
• Tricorn Centre, Portsmouth, United Kingdom (demolished)
• University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California
• University of California, Berkeley, numerous buildings, Berkeley, California
• Student Residences, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia (later period)
• University of Washington, some dormitories, Seattle, Washington
• Weldon Library, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario
• Robert W. Woodruff Library and other buildings, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
• numerous government and office buildings in Basingstoke, United Kingdom