Among the leading contenders for this year’s Oscars is the film “The Brutalist,” boasting 10 nominations. The movie narrates the story of a European architect who, after surviving the horrors of the Nazi concentration camp Buchenwald, migrates to the United States and secures a building commission. A critical success, “The Brutalist” has also been celebrated with honors at film festivals, as well as Golden Globe and BAFTA awards, highlighting its expansive narrative and its homage to the controversial architectural style of Brutalism.
Named after its original material of raw, unplastered concrete — “béton brut” in French — Brutalist architecture is marked by its imposing and radical aesthetic. The style, lacking decorative elements and using a subdued color palette, emerged post-World War II, a time when living spaces were scarce due to wartime devastation. Its pioneers included renowned architects like Le Corbusier, whose Cité Radieuse in Marseille, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is one of the style’s most celebrated examples.
From its inception in the late 1940s to the 1970s, Brutalism made a significant impact on the construction industry worldwide. Its appeal lay in the affordability of concrete and the relatively quick construction possible with unadorned forms. Public buildings and large-scale residential complexes, equipping their residents with infrastructure akin to that of self-contained cities, became the hallmark of this architectural phenomenon.
Despite its widespread presence, Brutalist architecture faces criticism for its aesthetic. Cities worldwide are dotted with these massive structures, their concrete exteriors weathering and darkening over time. The debate on the style ranges from admiration for its boldness to dismissal as an eyesore. Some prominent examples, such as London’s Robin Hood Gardens, have been torn down despite protests, while others, like the Catholic St. Maximilian Kolbe Church in Hamburg, known derisively as the “Toilet Paper Roll,” undergo renovations to find new purposes.
Environmental concerns also play a role in the conversation regarding Brutalist structures, with arguments for their preservation and repurposing to mitigate the environmental damage their demolition can cause. Beyond this, a growing international community of enthusiasts, active on social media and through groups like the Brutalism Appreciation Society, champions the preservation of these architectural monuments.
Source: https://www.dw.com/en/brutalism-concrete-monolithic-architecture-divides-critics/a-71701603?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf
