The Great Canadian Brutalism Appreciation Thread

[Architype]

Originally Posted by whatnext

The monstrous carbuncle that is the Vancouver Aquatic Centre. If ever there was a site not suited to Brutalism. Shot shows how it completely ignores its waterside setting and instead of looking outward at English Bay looks inward. A total fail.

[IMG]Van Aquatic by whatnextyvr, on Flickr[/IMG]

(my photo)

I've never minded it much, considering it is a swimming pool; it may be an artifact of it's era where abstraction and simple geometric shapes were a highly prized form of artistic expression. Much of the idea here was to be unobtrusive and low profile. It's not brutalist BTW.

The setting and landscaping help a lot, but there isn't much going on at the street side either.

https://goo.gl/maps/BJGmLt3hXE9gLjAv9

[MonkeyRonin]

It's a cool looking building, but yeah, given the context it's a bit disappointing that it doesn't engage it more.

Relation to their urban surroundings or otherwise fostering good urbanism isn't a strong point of many brutalist buildings - the most successful examples of the style tend to be separated from the city, and instead nestled into a natural landscape of some sort. Which makes the Aquatic Centre's disregard of the beach and oceanfront setting on top of that all the more of a missed opportunity.

[SignalHillHiker]

I can't stop giggling at the fact there's a classic Russian movie from the 1970s where part of the plot is a guy in Moscow getting blackout drunk, catching a flight to St. Petersburg, sobering up enough to hail a cab and giving them his Moscow street address. He gets taken to a street of the same name in St. Petersburg, to a Khrushchyovka commieblock identical to his own, and to top it all off his keys even work so he goes to someone else's bed to sleep it off lol

We need an equivalent for North American suburbia.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Architype

It's not brutalist BTW.

How is it not brutalist?

[niwell]

Originally Posted by MonkeyRonin

It's a cool looking building, but yeah, given the context it's a bit disappointing that it doesn't engage it more.

Relation to their urban surroundings or otherwise fostering good urbanism isn't a strong point of many brutalist buildings - the most successful examples of the style tend to be separated from the city, and instead nestled into a natural landscape of some sort. Which makes the Aquatic Centre's disregard of the beach and oceanfront setting on top of that all the more of a missed opportunity.

Indeed. The former Eastern Bloc countries in particular produced some incredible examples of this. Last night my friend was showing me some pictures of the interior of St. Peter's Seminary outside of Glasgow, which is an abandoned brutalist structure. They used to camp and party out there when he lived in Glasgow and it looks incredible - I guess it's used for art installations and such now too:



https://www.archdaily.com/786906/bru...ts-second-life

[lio45]

The university in Lethbridge, Alberta is a great example of this in Canada:

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by niwell

Indeed. The former Eastern Bloc countries in particular produced some incredible examples of this. Last night my friend was showing me some pictures of the interior of St. Peter's Seminary outside of Glasgow, which is an abandoned brutalist structure. They used to camp and party out there when he lived in Glasgow and it looks incredible - I guess it's used for art installations and such now too:



https://www.archdaily.com/786906/bru...ts-second-life

That one was recently given by the church to a foundation of some sort (I think). I don’t think there’s a plan to restore it. It really is a fabulous piece of architecture.

[Architype]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

How is it not brutalist?

That's a good question, but I've always thought of it as just Modernist.

Here is a quote from an article about the architect, which refers to it as Modernist:

McNab quickly became a prolific designer of Modernist schools and other facilities, including Esquimalt’s 1964 Naval Armament Depot and the 1974 Vancouver Aquatic Centre . . .

McNab’s glazed concept for the waterfront Aquatic Centre was replaced with an opaque faade that turned its back on the view, due to client concerns that light and shadow might interfere with training. Ultimately, it was built with rooftop glazing which, as many a swimmer there can attest, tends to interfere with your backstroke anyway. In this way, McNab exemplifies the architect’s perennial dilemma. He boasted a mighty strength in selling Modernism to a middlebrow clientele. He also seems to have harboured a correlating weakness to appease it.

https://www.canadianarchitect.com/second-in-command/

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Architype

That's a good question, but I've always thought of it as just Modernist.

Here is a quote from an article about the architect, which refers to it as Modernist:

https://www.canadianarchitect.com/second-in-command/

I've seen many refer to it as Brutalist. Perhaps because it is not bare concrete some feel it doesn't truly qualify but the shape and the way it relates to the setting is definitely Brutalism.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Architype

That's a good question, but I've always thought of it as just Modernist.

Here is a quote from an article about the architect, which refers to it as Modernist:



https://www.canadianarchitect.com/second-in-command/

Interesting. Thanks for posting.

Still hard not to see it as brutalist.

I Google Maps' it and realize I actually went by it while visiting Vancouver last year. I'm surprised I didn't notice it at the time.

[TorontoDrew]

Originally Posted by Architype

I've never minded it much, considering it is a swimming pool; it may be an artifact of it's era where abstraction and simple geometric shapes were a highly prized form of artistic expression. Much of the idea here was to be unobtrusive and low profile. It's not brutalist BTW.

The setting and landscaping help a lot, but there isn't much going on at the street side either.

https://goo.gl/maps/BJGmLt3hXE9gLjAv9

I like it, I find Brutalism is beautiful when in a more rural or green setting which is why Bruatlist buildings generally look better in Vancouver. The best example of it in Toronto are the buildings outside of the core like U of T's Scarborough campus or the Science Centre. Or even the York Downs Club House in Unionville.

Sopurce: https://www.yorkdowns.com/

[MolsonExport]

Namur metro station, Montreal



theartful

[whatnext]

This feels kind of unfair, to photograph this development at the worst time, when smoke turned the skies leaden and when summer choked their reflecting pond with green algae. Shaughnessy Place I condos date to 1978 and have an incomparable setting next to the Van Dusen Botanical Garden. However stark concrete that looks great in rendering tends to age poorly in damp Vancouver.

They'll still cost you well over a million though.

[IMG]brutalism by whatnextyvr, on Flickr[/IMG]
(my photo)

[J.OT13]

Jeanne Mance Building, Tunney's Pasture. Clean and simple.


https://twitter.com/jayfournier/stat...99983857610756


https://twitter.com/jayfournier/stat...33484351561734

[MonkeyRonin]

A couple I've seen around Vancouver:


Pacific Terraces. This one is massive - needs to be seen in person to fully appreciate: https://goo.gl/maps/bLiXZg2WopuDhy1M6


https://liv.rent/building/10118/grea...y-vancouver-bc


Windermere Care Centre. Some funky details:


https://canada247.info/explore/briti...-736-8676.html


Baycrest Centre, Toronto:


https://www.acotoronto.ca/building.php?ID=6616

[Architype]

I think I can find some more Brutalism in Vancouver, here is a little Brutalist corner.


https://goo.gl/maps/ejHYasAAetZJY725A


https://goo.gl/maps/rddg8xQYU3f1H82S7

In case you are wondering what it is:
https://moviemaps.org/locations/8p7

[Al Ski]

I love brutalism!

I'm glad that the most brutal, brutalist era is over but examples must be preserved.

I think it got a bad rap because of all the other questionable practices that were promulgated at that time (urban renewal, freeway expansion, etc.)

I wouldn't mind seeing more thoughtful brutalist styles being pursued.

Because it's pretty cool!

[OldDartmouthMark]

I'll be the first to admit that I've never been a big fan of brutalist architecture. However, one of my favourite local bloggers is, and here are a few of his posts that include brutalist architecture around Halifax/Nova Scotia:

https://halifaxbloggers.ca/noticedin...6/04/concrete/

https://halifaxbloggers.ca/noticedin...-dumb-me-down/

https://halifaxbloggers.ca/noticedin...-up-at-acadia/

His posts have actually helped me gain an appreciation for the style.