Brutalism: Sculptural, geometric, massive urban playgrounds made of concrete, places where skateboarding would be a blast (and probably banned), or smaller-scale exercises in form and space. Since brutalism's heyday in the 1960's and 1970's, Pittsburgh has seen a rich variety of brutalist structures go up, and I'm interested in how many buildings of this type exist in other cities, especially new projects. Please post images of your favorites (or least favorites).
Unfortunately, the University of Pittsburgh essentially doubled in size almost overnight after it went from private to "state-related" in 1966... which just so happened to be the beginning of the short-lived brutalist movement... ushering in a wave of cold, inhuman brutalist structures within Pitt's previously elegant campus... the whole Forbes Quadrangle is a lifeless harsh dismal zone of blank concrete
Just about the most depressing form of architecture ever conceived.
__________________
"If there is anything to be gained by honesty, then we shall
be honest; if we must dupe, then let us be scoundrels.” - Frederick the Great
^ 55 W Wacker would be so much nicer with transparent glazing.
It seems like most forms of progressive architecture undergo a period of popular contempt and derision that gradually gives way to enjoyment, even adoration. Sometimes it's a matter of familiarity, but more often I think it's a new context created by newer styles. I think anti-Brutalist sentiment, of which there is no shortage even among enthusiasts of Modernism, is a perfect example. In fifty years, when new technologies become more widely adopted and give birth to forms we have only previewed or yet unseen, popular opinion will swing towards Brutalism.
I'm never exactly sure how to differentiate Brutalism from simple Modernism, most of the time, but I think the Michigan Capitol Complex in Lansing is an example of Brutalism:
__________________ Where the trees are the right height
The campus looks pretty good during the summer and sunny days. But it's unbelievably drab and depressing on a snowy or cloudy day. My brother happened to be visiting it on one of these drab days after some snowfall - the school was offering him a boatload of shit besides a full scholarship, but I knew he wasn't going there after seeing how dreary the campus looked.
__________________ I take the high road because it's the only route on my GPS nowadays. #selfsatisfied
^ 55 W Wacker would be so much nicer with transparent glazing.
It seems like most forms of progressive architecture undergo a period of popular contempt and derision that gradually gives way to enjoyment, even adoration. Sometimes it's a matter of familiarity, but more often I think it's a new context created by newer styles. I think anti-Brutalist sentiment, of which there is no shortage even among enthusiasts of Modernism, is a perfect example. In fifty years, when new technologies become more widely adopted and give birth to forms we have only previewed or yet unseen, popular opinion will swing towards Brutalism.
I agree about 55WW in some respects. Part of what appeals to me about Brutalist-style structures is the apparent (often actual) structural exaggeration--they're just so heavy-duty looking and expressive. If you contrast this aspect with more transparent glass that allows for a glimpse into the "fragile" (by comparison with the structure, anyway) human occupancy within, the results can be really amazing. 55WW, as a result of its opaque glazing, is still in-your-face but with no depth--kind of a conflicting mix.
I also agree that Brutalism will improve with age, and mostly for the reasons you stated.
The McMaster Health Sciences Centre (MHSC) in Hamilton, Ontario, designed in 1972 by Craig, Zeidler, & Strong Architects, commemorates an important moment in hospital design. To keep a step ahead of the rapid changes taking place in medicine, Zeidler created an infinitely flexible space, deliberately designed never to be finished. This utopian vision, a concept of ever-changing architectural form, is demonstrated clearly in MHSC’s design, function, and image as a prototype of the “plug-in machine” modern hospital. While critics rejected the high-tech mechanical image of the hospital, others understood Zeidler’s intentions and appreciated his achievement. Even today, 30 years after the building was completed, its presence is powerful...MHSC, which was designed never to be finished, did not change in accordance with the original vision. The building did not follow its intended master plan, the expansion possibilities were not fulfilled, and the interior redevelopment was limited in scope. In this way, the vision that had intended to create an infinitely flexible and dynamic structure resulted in a static monument. Still, the importance of this project cannot be underestimated. MHSC is now an icon in the history of the modern high-tech hospital. Its bold design, which continues to raise many tough questions, denies any compromise in the expression of its utopian concept. It has stimulated the transition toward the postmodern hospital.
__________________ RECENT PHOTOS: TORONTO • SAN FRANCISCO • ROCHESTER, NY • HAMILTON • GODERICH, ON • WHEATLEY, ON • COBOURG, ON • LAS VEGAS • LOS ANGELES
^ 55 W Wacker would be so much nicer with transparent glazing.
It seems like most forms of progressive architecture undergo a period of popular contempt and derision that gradually gives way to enjoyment, even adoration. Sometimes it's a matter of familiarity, but more often I think it's a new context created by newer styles. I think anti-Brutalist sentiment, of which there is no shortage even among enthusiasts of Modernism, is a perfect example. In fifty years, when new technologies become more widely adopted and give birth to forms we have only previewed or yet unseen, popular opinion will swing towards Brutalism.
You are so right. When I was young in the '60's and '70's Victorian and other late 19th and early 20th century styles were what everyone spit on. Young people today can't get enough of it. The question with Brutalisim is will it survive long enough to come back into fashion? Everywhere you look people are trying to "remodel" it or otherwise stamp it out.
__________________
Forget it Jake ................it's Market East
Ex London Bank, Buenos Aires, Argentina has amazing detail and I can't even grasp the shear scale of the Barbican Centre. It's also interesting to note how the McMaster Health Sciences Centre merges two strikingly different materials, glass and concrete.