Post Your Favorite Example of Brutalist Architecture

[Frozen Fishsticks]

Grace must give way to geometry and art must surrender to functionality and practicality.

Godless spires of concrete are the hallmarks of human unity and practicality. Anything else is an indulgence of ego and folly.

 

[whatever I feel like]

I actually like brutalism, even though its the epitome of non-functional architecture. The inhumanity of it emphasizes the human-ness of anyone you see next to it. its also neat to go inside and see the actual sixties styled building parts that are hidden within.

 

[Ciscoipphone]

 

[Useless Shit]

From what I remember, brutalism is popular in the 60s because of it being like a bunker for nuclear war.

 

[I'm Not Racist Anymore]

Does this fit the category?

 

[RA-5C Vigilante]

Brutalist architecture is fucking awful so my favorite example are the ones that got demolished and replaced with something

 

[Answer]

This enormous concrete UFO is pretty cool I think, shame its abandoned.

Here's what it looked like on the day of its grand opening

 

[FlipTopBox]

I kinda like the dystopian aesthetic of brutalist architecture but would never want to live in a brutalist building.

 

[Pinot Pierrot]

My little brother is a fan of brutalist architecture and once dreamed of living in a studio warehouse. He even gave his house in Animal Crossing hideously gray concrete walls with metal flooring. That boy ain't right in the head.

On the other hand, I do appreciate how you can condense the very essence of "decay" into a mere array of windows.

 

[MarvinTheParanoidAndroid]

 

[Billy Budd]

Does this count? I've always thought it looks cozy in a strange way.

 

[millais]

Is it true that all the concrete reduced heating/cooling costs due to improved insulation characteristics compared to other building materials?

 

[Smaug's Smokey Hole]

My little brother is a fan of brutalist architecture and once dreamed of living in a studio warehouse. He even gave his house in Animal Crossing hideously gray concrete walls with metal flooring. That boy ain't right in the head.
View attachment 1294690
On the other hand, I do appreciate how you can condense the very essence of "decay" into a mere array of windows.

Oh that place, Ponte Tower in South Africa.

The tenants threw their trash down into the core and the pile became 14 stories high.

As the tower of rubbish was removed their were reports of “rats the size of cats”, and even dead bodies, found in the fetid mound.

From the outside.

It's almost a mega block from Judge Dredd, over 10,000 people lived in that building at some point.

 

[Spamy the Bot]

Brutalism is certainly a weird mix of abusing technology ie. we have reinforced concrete now and opportunity ie. we have a population boom and most of the world's housing stock is destroyed now. While as with modern arts there are weird political implications, I can imagine it looked futuristic in the 50s.

Oh that place, Ponte Tower in South Africa.
View attachment 1294895
The tenants threw their trash down into the core and the pile became 14 stories high.


From the outside.
View attachment 1294896

It's almost a mega block from Judge Dredd, over 10,000 people lived in that building at some point.

Imagine the smell.

 

[AnOminous]

Brutalism is certainly a weird mix of abusing technology ie. we have reinforced concrete now and opportunity ie. we have a population boom and most of the world's housing stock is destroyed now. While as with modern arts there are weird political implications, I can imagine it looked futuristic in the 50s.

One of the ugliest aspects of this school of architecture is the repulsive color and texture of poured concrete. It literally looks like the shit you see in houses without foundations stuck up on cinder blocks. It just looks like shit, and looks more and more like shit as time passes on.

 

[Spamy the Bot]

One of the ugliest aspects of this school of architecture is the repulsive color and texture of poured concrete. It literally looks like the shit you see in houses without foundations stuck up on cinder blocks. It just looks like shit, and looks more and more like shit as time passes on.

Yes. It's really a gross material, but was really cheap at the time to create the required population density and huge buildings required. It aged like shit. Even Bauhaus aged better. I in fact can enjoy some of the early and core modernist buildings. I wish Art Deco would have caught on as the go-to build big buildings style.

 

[AnOminous]

Yes. It's really a gross material, but was really cheap at the time to create the required population density and huge buildings required. It aged like shit. Even Bauhaus aged better. I in fact can enjoy some of the early and core modernist buildings. I wish Art Deco would have caught on as the go-to build big buildings style.

IMO most of the "good" Brutalist architecture, and there are buildings in this style that aren't terrible, are more Bauhaus looking, and do at least SOMETHING with the concrete to make it look less like shit.

 

[DecimatedFerret]

Thats badass.

 

[Smaug's Smokey Hole]

One of the ugliest aspects of this school of architecture is the repulsive color and texture of poured concrete. It literally looks like the shit you see in houses without foundations stuck up on cinder blocks. It just looks like shit, and looks more and more like shit as time passes on.

I think there's something worse than unfinished concrete. The 60's small yellow brick.

It makes buildings look like giant cigarette butts, at best. Most of them they look like tar and nicotine stained teeth that fell out of a giant's mouth to the embarrassment of God that tries to hide it up by keeping the area permanently overcast. In the picture above it shows that the weather is better outside of that neighborhood.

 

[theshep]

I have a couple.

The Sirius Building in Sydney. It was a public housing until it was controversially sold for redevelopment. It's right next to the Habour Bridge, so great views.


My second choice is the Sydney Masonic Centre.

I remember seeing it as a kid and being amazed at how it didn't topple over.

Generally speaking, I hate brutalist architecture, there are a few odd exceptions though.