Brutalism — Visual Digest vol.2
Brutalism is often the black sheep of the architectural community, but some of its designs can take your breath away. Check out what I found!
Prague, Czech Republic
Image: Vitvit. cats_of_brutalism
Brutalism is an architectural movement that emerged in the mid-20th century, around the 1950s, gaining prominence until the 1970s. The term “Brutalism” derives from the French “béton brut” or “raw concrete,” a phrase used by the French architect Le Corbusier to describe his choice of material.
Brutalist architecture is characterized by its stark, rugged appearance, substantial use of concrete, and large geometric shapes. Buildings in this style often appear as if they have been constructed emphasizing mass and scale, sometimes seeming fortress-like with a sense of monumentality.
The style was partly a reaction against mid-century modernism's lightness, optimism, and frivolity. It also reflected the need for economical construction methods during the post-World War II reconstruction period. Brutalist buildings were typically used for government buildings, educational institutions, and social housing, reflecting a sense of social utopianism and the ideal that form follows function.
Architects like Le Corbusier, Alison and Peter Smithson, Ernő Goldfinger, and Paul Rudolph were crucial…
