Brutalist Architecture Discussion Thread!

[wallasey 8]

 

Welcome to page 5!

Date: 6/28/2005 6:24:04 PM Author: gascooker I totally aggree charsengrafs. Many local authorities are partly to blame in the demise of such buildings. The barbican is a good example. When the blocks are occupied by wealthy inhabitants the block will have a consierge, well maintained gardens, lifts and interior common parts. Lack of investment and maintainence by some local authorities have deprived many of these buildings of such pleausres. They are effectively bad landlords. Consequently the buildings then look awful and decaying and have almost become a symbol of poverty. This is changing slowly. For example my local authority of Southwark, which has one of the highest density of residential populations in the UK is now improving and looking after their brutalist beauties. Many of the estates are well pruned and consequently such architecture is seen less of an eyesore to its local residents.

At the other end of the spectrum, my local autharity (Northumberland CC) has the lowest population density in the Uk and they never built a tenement block as such but the council houses could be put down as brutalist because the pebbledash on the exterior has turned black over the years of battering. So You could be in a nice area but the council estates just bring the area down and NCC are doing nothing about it.

 

I agree about what most of you are saying that the demise of 60's flats are a part of out heritage being burned away but to be honest, a lot of the time, people are glad to see the building go rather than restore it. However, has anyone heard of the View 146 Project in Liverpool? I have put some pics in below, but the project has taken two modest looking blocks and converted them into high spec apartments. The idea has gone down well and has been done elsewhere in the city with the same results.

 

http://www.imgcity.net/server/primary/View146.jpg align=baseline>

 

 

http://www.imgcity.net/server/primary/146Wirviw.jpg align=baseline>

You can see the flats have been done to a high spec and are now occupied by young profesionals.

The land across the water is the Wirral Pinninsular for those who are wondering.

 

http://www.imgcity.net/server/primary/comp.jpg align=baseline>

This is just a comparrison. the bigger block flat iis the one that I have shown in my last post and the smaller block isn't one of the View 146 development but is exactly the same in size and design and is what the two converted flats would have looked like.

 

Well i hope that this post has been benificial! and will show people that old corpy flats can be converted into modern, luxary aparments without spiolinfg the facade too much

 

 

[GaryReggae 80]

Yes exactly!  As long as the buildings are structurally sound (most of them are otherwise they would have been pulled down anyway for safety reasons) then anything can be done with them.  High rise living is coming back into fashion but some local authorities are still pulling down tower blocks at an alarming rate.  Fortunately where I live (Southampton) the council currently have no plans to demolish any of the tower blocks.

[spa 968]

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//Killam.gif align=baseline>

Thought I would make a Canadian contribution to this thread. Above is a picture of Dalhousie University's Killam Library located in Halifax, Nova Scotia (you can find a better picture at which I couldn't save for some reason). The building is one giant concrete cube. They went to great lengths to make its surroundings even more stark since to the left of this photo is a series of giant concrete planters as big as Smart Cars sitting on top of rock. Just looking at the little trees struggling for life inside them depresses me. Inside the building there is an atrium which has a water feature that meanders through uncurving concrete. Most of the time the water is fairly revolting. It's all a very desolate place. Little wonder then that it's the subject of jokes by the students. I still remember my first year student handbook reading The Killam Library was the original design for the Death Star but was rejected by the Galactic Star Empire as 'too sinister.' Frankly I think a borg reference would have been more appropriate. Interestingly, just down University Drive from the Killam is the Public Archives of Nova Scotia.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//Public%20Archives.jpg align=baseline>

 

The Archive building is also a cube, but it lacks an atrium. The photo doesn't really show it, but the building is a red brick that's set on landscaped land, which makes it much more appealing to look at than it's grey neighbour. Anyway, it's kind of funny that Halifax, a North American city of only 360,000 has two unrelated brutalist cubes within a stone's throw of each other.

 

One observation on North American brutalism is that it seems that North American university's went through a building boom when brutalism was popular and as a result campus's across the continent are littered with these concrete monsters even though it didn't spread much into the cities at large (Canadian cities anyway).

 

-Sam

[GaryReggae 80]

Nice University buildings Spa!  Universities seem to be one of the main types of building where large scale Brutalism can be seen.

Here are some more Brutalist buildings I have found:

 

Gravesham Civic Centre, Kent:

 

align=baseline>

 

Scottish Provident HQ, Kent:

 

http://www.c20society.org.uk/images/building/provident/main.jpg align=baseline>

 

Engineering Research Building, near Newcastle:

 

http://www.c20society.org.uk/images/building/ers.jpg align=baseline>

 

Ashmount Primary School, London:

 

http://www.riskybuildings.org.uk/img/33ashmount/exterior1.jpg align=baseline>

 

Birmingham Central Library:

 

http://www.riskybuildings.org.uk/img/19library/01.jpg align=baseline>

 

Huddersfield Market hall:

 

http://www.riskybuildings.org.uk/img/20queensgate/04.jpg align=baseline>

 

Pasmore Pavillion, Peterlee (Co Durham):

 

http://www.riskybuildings.org.uk/img/23pasmore/03.jpg align=baseline>

 

Boston City Hall, USA:

 

http://www.cosy.sbg.ac.at/~wdietl/diary/bay/2001-08/boston/city-hall.jpg align=baseline>

 

Le Corbusier's La Tourette monastery:

 

align=baseline>

 

I particularly like the last two.

[Chartsengrafs 0]

wallasey:  Those blocks in Liverpool look pretty good, especially the first one - it looks great!  The colour really lifts it, but it could pass for nearly new!  It might be because of it's shape, but honestly, it would sit nicely amongst the new 14-or-so storey, luxury appartment blocks that are being built along the banks of the River Clyde, in Glasgow.  Either way, it's nice to see buildings like that being given a new lease of life.

spa:  Those Canadian buildings are Brutalist to the max!  I have to say though, apart from the use of bare concrete, which becomes unsightly through weathering, don't you think the design of those buildings suits a severe Canadian winter?  The lack of windows and apertures would likely minimise heat-loss, and I would imagine that the flat roofs are probably less susceptible to damage from high winds.

 

GaryReggae:  Another nice photo collection!    I like the Scottish Provident HQ in Kent - it actually doesn't look terribly dated, it just needs a clean!  The Engineering Research Building is very striking - it looks like something off a Pink Floyd or Yes album cover!  Huddersfield Market Hall and the Pasmore Pavillion are two nice examples of Brutalism made very attractive, and La Tourette Monastery is of course, a masterpiece!

[ILL Tonkso 1,236]

I Posted this exact message in the Pompey So'ton Thread but i think its better off here.

  Looking at the Council Estate Subject, Milbrook seems like a bad place. I had to ride through the Estate round the back of Queen Street in Portsmouth late last night. We were started on by a gang of chavs within about 30 seconds. It was my dads idea to get away from the crowd (we were leaving the end of the trafalga 200) and cut through the estate. Living on what is thought to be the roughest estate on the south coast (eek) i know all too well of the image that has been brought upon council estates (allthough Paulsgrove and Wymering have become really tidy in the last 3 years). The Crime rate is very high here, i can tell you loads of stories of what goes on here, from muggings to rape, someone even had his finger cut off (they wanted his hand) by a sword. On the whole though, my opinion is that a council estate is what people make it to be, the 'Paulsgrove and Wymering' and 'Leigh Park' estates have earned a bad reputation in Portsmouth and the 'Milbrook' Estate in Southampton has too, but there is council housing all over both cities and every other city in the country. Some are Bad, some are Good.

 

Tower Blocks

 

Often unpopular buildings (There are Two on the Liegh Park estate, and loads in Somerstown (Portsmouth) yet Millgate House in Portsmouth is actually a well kept up and well to do Building, overlooking the Gunwharf Quays Complex and the harbour it has become Prime Housing and now has a Fence and locked gate protecting its landscaped Grounds, this is an example of 1960's council housing projects working as they were planned, tidy and with a Positive Image. I have seen similar in London too.

 

Colleges and Universities

 

As shown in various pictures in this thread, Colleges and Universities are commenplace for Brutalist Architecture, the form works here and is suitable for the student life. Also easilly updated.

 

Functionality

 

Another Prime Factor here is that most 1960's buildings are Simple and Functional, built at a time where the country was low on money and in desperate need of Rebuilding, Simple, Cheap yet Functional buildings were needed, this is the birth of the Modern UK City Center, these new buildings replaced the lost (bombed) buildings of before quickly and cheaply. Today we now have all the services housed in these buildings and have rebuilt our economy so we can afford to spend more on better building materials and spend more time on construction. Post War Britain has reshaped our cities in the highest degree since the Industrial Revolution.

[Chartsengrafs 0]

All very true, ILL Tonkso.  A place is what people make it.  I honestly don't buy into that 'people are a product of their environment' nonsense.  The people around you in a particular area could have a negative influence upon you, but the physical fabric of an area is not to blame.  Don't get me wrong, a physical environment can be uplifting or depressing, and it can also present opportunities for potential criminals (dark corners, underpasses, etc.), but ultimately the decision to be bad or good lies in the person.  It never ceases to amaze me how Local Authorities use certain areas or flat-blocks as 'dumping grounds' for all the local psychopaths, thieves, liars, junkies, con-artists, anti-social families, etc., then wonder why the area is such a problem!  You have to marvel at this dystopian future that we live in...

[spa 968]

GaryReggae: I'm not a real fan of Brutalism myself but that Scottish Provident Headquaters is kind of nice. I like the proportion of glass to concrete and the monastary is good. The thing that I generally don't like about brutalism is how it doesn't work with its environment. Desolate concrete isn't my kind of thing. That said, there are exceptions. The Public Archives building in Halifax is one as the dark red brick cube on well landscaped green grounds (more than just grass) actually looks quite nice. Especially how it uses Junipers as the dark evergreen bush is set of nicely against the dark red brick. Looks quite sharp.

Chartsengrafs: As for brutalism being appropriate to a Canadian winter in some ways it is, but in others it's not. The lack of windows on both Halifax buildings I think would actually increase heating costs. The way to cut your heating bill is to insulate well, but have a lot of big South facing windows. Neither of these cube buildings have that. My parents designed their house with that in mind and on a sunny winters day in their house, you really don't need the heat on until after the sun has gone down. In Halifax winter isn't too big a deal. Contrary to the Canadian sterotype it doesn't get that cold there. It doesn't usually go below -5 for long. Being on the ocean moderates things. Keeps the temp from falling to much in the winter and from going to much beyond the low 20s in the summer. The funny thing is that if you draw a line around the globe Halifax is on the same latitude as Milan, but without the Med climate! No the places in Canada where cold is a real factor is the far North and the praries.

 

Finally, as to the failure of many 60s projects it seems to me that the design concept for many of these projects itself doomed it. Jane Jacobs' The Life and Death of American Cities, although increasingly old points out the problems quite well. You can't expect separated public housing to succeed. People need to live in communities not projects. This isn't to say that individuals aren't responsible, it's just pointing out that you only need a few bad apples to ruin a place and they can best do it in weak communities such as the ones that 60s projects create. The best approach in my humble opinion is to mix uses. Right now I live in Calgary's trendiest neighbourhood. There are lots of shops and life in the area. From the outside, you would never know it, but the building right next to mine is public housing. You need to be on social assistance to live there. It's not a crime ridden blight though, it's a building that works. Why? From the exterior it's no different than any other public housing. It works because the residents there aren't isolated from shops and community. They live in a neighbourhood not a project. Hopefully we've learned a few things from the 60s experience and we'll avoid making some of those gross city destroying mistakes again. Probably these failures also contributed to attaching negative conontations to Brutalism.

 

-Sam 

 

 

[Chartsengrafs 0]

Again, lots of good points spa!  You're right about south-facing windows, now that I think about it!  Would I be correct in saying that Halifax catches a little of the Gulf Stream as it drifts up, and across the Atlantic towards Ireland and Scotland?  Or did I just make that up!? 

I agree with you about mixing uses.  The lack of mixed-uses was probably the greatest failure of the peripheral housing estates, that were built around towns and cities in the '60s.  People were used to having local shops, a pub on every corner and a picture house not too far away, but when they were moved out into the new estates, they had none of these facilities (well, perhaps a general store and pub that were expected to cater for 50,000 people!) - a problem that was compounded by irregular bus services.

 

I have seen some Brutalist blocks with shops in the ground floor, but unfortunately these tended to close down as crime and anti-social behaviour increased - usually due to the 'dumping ground' approach adopted by Local Authorities.  Having said that, mixed uses can bring their own set of problems.  The presence of pubs can lead to crime and anti-social behaviour, while shops tend to attract gangs of youths who can intimidate other residents, as well as commiting acts of vandalism and in some cases, violence.

 

I've noticed that modern 'yuppie flats' usually do not have local facilities, as most residents own a car, however car-dependancy is something that planners and architects should be trying to 'design out' of these schemes, mainly for environmental reasons.

[brancra 1,114]

I don't really think Canada catches any of the Gulf Stream, it's much too far out to sea Chartsengrafs.

I think that in the 1960s North American cities saw the functionality and cheap costs of Brutalist structures as desirable, but in places where appearance is everything, minimalist designs were often used instead for housing projects. Plus, many of the federal and civic structures completed under the brutalist style were completed in the 1970s---which was when real estate, and the economy, in america went into a major slump, and community budgets were unwilling to construct new facilities until the 1980s.

 

Now, in today's rapidly developing real estate market, the structures, many of which are in a state of disrepair, especially those in eastern cities exposed to hard times, acid rain and other problems, are simply torn down to be replaced with luxury lofts or condos or something of that sort. It is not worth it to many American developers to restore old ugly buildings when they can raze them and build visually appealing structures even if its costs more.

[Emozo 0]

i think youre right chartsengrafs: a perfect example in my hometown is Cowgate where the local authorities spent thousands of [taxpayers] pounds to renovate and make the area a nicer place to live, now only 2 of 3 years later the houses are burned out and windows boardered up. the only factor that remained the same are the residents, all this in a lowrise 2/3 story housing estate.

at the other end of the spectrum is HongKong which has the highest population density of almost anywere on the planet yet the highrise 40+ story housing have a close social atmosphere and crime is almost non existant. social issues are the biggest downfalls of cities and this is even more apparent when comparing different cultures.

[p2h5 3]

The Ryugyong Hotel in North Korea, is sort of Brutalist, but more rather sinister communist architecture. It is, in theroy, the tallest hotel in the world (even taller than the Burj Al Arab) although it is currently an empty shell, as the money ran out, and oddly enought they couldn't find a foreign investement. Hmm, can't think why. It was also the first building outside of the US to have more than 100 floors, as it was finished in 1992.

It must have just been built by the dictator for show and power, as i don't know if people are even allowed to go on holiday there, and there is no way that so many hotel rooms could be filled, especially as North Korea doesn't exactly spring to mind as a top holiday destination...

330m, 1081 feet. I think that it is one of the most sinister buildings ever.

Here is someone's blog about this building (not someone based in North Korea)

http://shapeofdays.typepad.com/the_shape_of_days/2004/09/the_ryugyong_ho_1.html

It is quite interesting, and suggests that it could not actually be physically be completed, because of the poor quality of the building.

And take a look at this close up picture - it doesn't even have any windows.

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/lofiversion/index.php/t7953.html

[frogface 352]

I dont think it counts as brutalist because it wasnt intended to be. looking at the pictures it was meant to be snazzed up in blue plate glass. It was meant ot be a 7 star hotel but there isnt really a demand for such a thing. Tourism is a growing business in DPRK but the kind of tourists who go there are hardly the ones to stay in 7 star hotels

[brancra 1,114]

And yet ,it still has that decaying but forboding image that even brutalism often fails to create. Imho, this is indeed a sinister-looking building, even if it was intended to be a symbol of strength and power.

[spa 968]

Date: 6/29/2005 5:26:35 PM Author: Chartsengrafs

Again, lots of good points spa!  You're right about south-facing windows, now that I think about it!  Would I be correct in saying that Halifax catches a little of the Gulf Stream as it drifts up, and across the Atlantic towards Ireland and Scotland?  Or did I just make that up!? 

I agree with you about mixing uses.  The lack of mixed-uses was probably the greatest failure of the peripheral housing estates, that were built around towns and cities in the '60s.  People were used to having local shops, a pub on every corner and a picture house not too far away, but when they were moved out into the new estates, they had none of these facilities (well, perhaps a general store and pub that were expected to cater for 50,000 people!) - a problem that was compounded by irregular bus services.

I have seen some Brutalist blocks with shops in the ground floor, but unfortunately these tended to close down as crime and anti-social behaviour increased - usually due to the 'dumping ground' approach adopted by Local Authorities.  Having said that, mixed uses can bring their own set of problems.  The presence of pubs can lead to crime and anti-social behaviour, while shops tend to attract gangs of youths who can intimidate other residents, as well as commiting acts of vandalism and in some cases, violence.

I've noticed that modern 'yuppie flats' usually do not have local facilities, as most residents own a car, however car-dependancy is something that planners and architects should be trying to 'design out' of these schemes, mainly for environmental reasons.

Canada's East Coast gets a little bit of a spill over effect from the Gulf Stream passing offshore, but it's slight. It's no where near the impact it has on the British Isles. The major impact of the Gulf Stream is it keeps the frigid Labrador Current contained. The two currents collide offshore and that mix of warm and cold combined with a constantly shifting jet stream makes for a very foggy environment. Halifax and St.Johns compete every year for foggiest city in Canada. It doesn't bug me though, I like fog. I like how it makes everything look especially at night.

 

You're right about mixed use having it's own set of problems however they're preferable to the alternative. My own neighbourhood is a good example as I'm sure some feel intimidated by the crowd of young people who hang out in this coffee shop courtyard across the street. A lot of them look pretty sketchy since they've been pierced all over by the piercing/tattoo shop down the street. They don't bug me, but I can understand how some people would be intimidated, especially at night.

 

As for that Korean building that P2h5 contributed, all I can say is wow. What a structure. Someone should BAT that one. That country just gets stranger and stranger the more you hear about it. You have to wonder if they'll ever finish that hotel, even after North Korea joins the world again whenever that is. Thanks for contributing that one.

[toxicpiano 125]

This building is apparently not even recognised on tourist maps in north korea. It is building that is forgotten and never spoken of. It has an erie beauty, but it has a dark side of mystery and corrupt government that is north korea. It is a brutalist building now, but if it had ever been finished maybe it could have been very different.

[Glenni 1,444]

whoa thjat buidlnig is insane!!!!!and it look like crap at the base too.....

[spa 968]

Date: 7/4/2005 4:34:13 PM Author: toxicpiano This building is apparently not even recognised on tourist maps in north korea. It is building that is forgotten and never spoken of. It has an erie beauty, but it has a dark side of mystery and corrupt government that is north korea. It is a brutalist building now, but if it had ever been finished maybe it could have been very different.

Only the North Korean government could pretend that a massive tower that dominates the capitol's skyline doesn't exist!

[Bluthmania 7]

Just like to say that this thread is a great idea! In my opinion Brutalism, despite being menacing and oddly unsettling, is also oddly beautiful.  It sorta represents the pristine future that was predicted by the general populace up until the late 70s.

 

Strangely enough I think brutalism made a bit of a comeback in the 80s.  Back then the future was invisioned as being dark and dystopic (thank you Blade Runner and Akira!) and the massive concrete proportions seemed to represent that.  Alot of smaller structures were erected in this pseudo-brutalist style throughout the world during a breif stint in the late 70s and early 80s.  Back when Russia was at the height of it's evil socialist appearance the future, prosperous of course!, was invisioned as being full of these kind of buildings. If any of you know who Sid Mead is, and I really suggest you search for him on Wikipedia, you'd know that even today his designs have a Brutalist, almost totalitarian government, kind of feel to them.  Great stuff.

 

Anyway about that Ryugyong Hotel.  I believe that the 1992 Olympics were originally supposed to be a joint operation between North and South Korea, but diplomatic relations must have gone to hell because that plan eventually fell through and the whole idea of a joint Olympics was scrapped.  Unfortunately the DPRK (??) had already started construction on this ENORMOUS hotel with whatever limited funds it had, and was forced to cancel it when the games were cancelled.  Sortof sad really, maybe the Olympics could have saved North Korea from becoming what it is today. If that had happened this tower would be even more iconic, as it would have ushered in a new era of prosperity.

 

Oh well. 

 

Anyway even with all that blue plate glass the building would have been incredibly scary.  It's not just the presence, something about the design is really unnerving.  Close up pictures of it actually scare me.  And that solitary crane, rusting away 1080 feet up in the air, doesn't make things better. Like, look at that one picture.  In the foreground you can see a sign with what it was supposed to look like on it (any reason why that sign is still there?), and even then its still menacing.  Somewhere out there Barbara Brocolli is looking at pictures of this hotel and dreaming up ideas for a new James Bond movie, because this thing screams Evil HQ.

 

Note to North Korea: In a downtown area you usually have more, I repeat MORE, than one building over 20 floors. 

 

If they ever become a democratic society, or at least get some serious dough, they have got to finish this thing and add some more buildings around it.  Maybe that would soften it's Karla Homolka good looks.

 

BTW: I think this is my longest post on this site ever.

[Emozo 0]

that is one of the most astonashing buildings i have ever seen. ever. i think its sinisterness is what makes it so amazing, buildings like this really hit you when you first see them and produce real emotion unlike many passive buildings in many cities, i think the fact that it is the tallest building in its surroundings adds to this, a little like the eiffel tower. i think communists have a habit of making imposing and sinister buildings -look at moscow university, and good for them, they have created some real gems in the process, i only hope it lasts long enough to be really apreaciated.i think someone should BAT this hotel right now!

[ExiL3 10]

Bluthmania: Oh yeah, Blade runner and Akira rocks! great movies, very dark indeed. That is probably why I also, somehow like these buildings, eventhough every other guy on the street would mean that they should be torn down, I think they make a special contribution to a city, cause if a city only has one type of buildings, the whole image of the city becomes boring.

Well, go brutalist buildings!

take care humanoids!

[GingerBlokey 30]

That hotel just screams 1984

[Chartsengrafs 0]

Hi there!  I'm a fairly new member here, but after a little encouragement, I've decided to start a new thread dedicated to Brutalist architecture.    Any earlier Modernist architecture which inspired Brutalism (mainly the work of Le Corbusier and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe) is also welcome.

The aim of this thread is to provide information and discussion on, and hopefully lots of interesting pictures of, Brutalist buildings for general interest and hopefully inspiration for willing and able BAT-ers!

 

Before reading on, I would suggest reading this .  It briefly explains what Brutalism is and what characterises the style, gives a short history of the style, and provides some information on a number of famous Brutalist architects and their buildings.  There are also a few photographs and a number of links.  Please note however, that this is by no means an exhaustive list of buildings and developments that are of interest.

 

If you know of any others, or wish to discuss any of those outlined in the above link, feel free to bring them up!

 

I'm going to begin by providing  this link to a section of a website called Hidden Glasgow, which looks at a variety of forgotten places in and around the City of Glasgow, Scotland.  This particular section details a visit to the crumbling ruin of St. Peter's Seminary near the village of Cardross, just outside Glasgow.  This building is almost a living metaphor for the death of Brutalism - an unloved and forgotten, yet once state-of-the-art piece of architecture, rotting away in quiet seclusion.  Be sure to take a swatch at the photo galleries (ignoring the local fleetos), and the 'Virtual Restoration' link from the site.

 

This  website doesn't have much in the way of content, but it does have some interesting articles on various Brutalist structures in Glasgow, and links to a few more photos taken at St. Peter's.  Be sure to turn your speakers on for this one (unless you are at work), because the site music sounds like Sim City gone New Wave! 

[hdorriker 190]

Of all styles of architecture, brutalism is by far, my favorite.



It's a small picture, but the only one I could find of the Willville towers in Boulder, CO.

When viewed from the north (looking south) from Baseline road, they are especially beautiful.
And I'm sure I'm probably the only one in town who thinks so.


Oh, and then there is my favorite building on the CU campus:

This is a terrible picture, it looks better without overcast. It's also best viewed from the east with the mountains behind it, and with full sunshine.

Like this:

And the other part not seen in the other pictures.

And there is another great part of it that nobody ever takes a picture of that is *all* concrete. It is amazing.

[hogmeister 7]

Brutalism is not anywhere near my favourite architectural style and I think a lot of that comes from the materials used rather than the actual style. Many of the buildings are poured concrete; put up in a rush with shoddy workmanship and cheap materials that just cant stand the test of time, which means that maintenance costs skyrocket and only the wealthiest of owners/public bodies can afford the upkeep of them. This then leads to a cycle of decay and vandalism and ultimately demolition. The key to long lived buildings of any type has always been a quality build with quality materials. It

[Kryten 0]

Date: 6/25/2005 1:12:45 PM Author: ILL Tonkso

Hey, im not sure if any of you ever played Transport Tycoon but this building was in it!

Hey! When I first saw that picture I thought I've seen that building! But you hit the nail on the head, Tonkso: Transport Tycoon! Holy #$%#! I had no idea some actually built that thing!

 

I just read through this thread - fascinating! I had never heard of the Brutalist school of architecture until coming to ST, and I thought it was a term coined by people posting on this site. While I've been reading it, I've been thinking about my own experiences with brutalism.

 

I couldn't think of any obvious examples in my former hometown (Vancouver, B.C.) - I suspect it's because there was/is an active movement promoting the integration of buildings with the natural environment. The example that comes to mind (and I'm sorry that I couldn't find a photo) is a terraced dark grey concrete building on West Georgia that might be brutalist except for the fact that the terraces are lushly planted with gardens, giving the building the appearance of a forested cliff or hillside. Interestingly, a little more thought suggested a couple of other possibilities just across the harbour from Vancouver in North Vancouver: the North Shore Credit Union building on Lonsdale and the North Vancouver City Hall (although they've gone to quite a bit of trouble mitigating the brutalist character of the buildings by planting trees & gardens around it).

 

As for where I'm living now, I almost think that the architecture of my alma mater, the University of California, Santa Barbara would qualify (esp. the main library, South Hall, and the Snidecor building) except for the fact that much of it is painted in pastel colours

 

Squatter: thanks for mentioning that N. Korean building. I have fond memories of flying by that thing in Falcon 4 (and using it for target practice on occasion ). And thanks for reminding me of the whole Canadian university thing - my other alma mater, UBC, has a couple of examples: the School of Dentistry, the admin. building, and Gage Towers.

 

[Stik Fig 2]

Yea, that Korean building, from what I heard, was built because the leader was hoping on getting the olympics. They ran out of money and it sits unfinished after some 20 years. Even still has the cranes on it lol.

Dammit..I was just about to post those Colorado University Pics..

[Glenni 1,444]

heh i am making a brutalsit now..i think...

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//1D.jpg align=baseline>

[hdorriker 190]

Very good start indeed.
I like the shape of your parking garage/annex.


And yes, it may be true that Brutalism has been historically difficult or expensive to maintain. But When the geometric sensibility of brutalism is combined with better quality materials and better workmanship. it is absolutely astounding!


Not technically Brutalism, but uses the same sort of spacial sensibility, kind-of.

Ok, and here is some brutalism:

Stony Brook University Hospital

[Alabaster 0]

Browsing through this thread has given me an appreciation for this 'different' style of architecture. I still do not like it, but I have learned to at least appreciate it for what it is. It is surprising how complex some of these designs are, but the materials used for construction are very plain. I also just realized that our main building on my college campus is a brutalist structure. At first (when I was a na