Despite its criticisms, the Brutalist movement has had a lasting impact on architectural design. Many contemporary architects, including Thom Mayne, Rem Koolhaas, and Diller Scofidio + Renfro, have cited Brutalism as an influence on their work.
If you are looking for style in the wild, look for these five traits: The Brutalist
In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in Brutalist architecture, with many architects and preservationists advocating for the preservation and restoration of Brutalist buildings. The movement's emphasis on honesty, transparency, and functionalism has also influenced other fields, including art, design, and urban planning. Despite its criticisms, the Brutalist movement has had
In Great Britain, architects Alison and Peter Smithson codified the movement. For them, Brutalism wasn't an aesthetic; it was an ethic. A building should not lie. Steel beams should look like steel beams. Concrete should look like wet stone. Ornamentation was crime. A building should not lie
Brutalism emerged from the ashes of World War II. Europe needed to rebuild quickly, cheaply, and honestly. Le Corbusier, the Swiss-French architect, was the godfather of the movement. His Unité d'Habitation in Marseille (1952) is the prototypical Brutalist building. He refused to plaster over or prettify the concrete. He left the grain of the wooden molds, the seams, the bolt-holes—the "scars" of construction—visible.