GaryReggae

Yes, Ashburton Couty, that's the one! I do like the buildings around Winchester Bus Station as well, indeed the bus station itself is a fine example of 1930s architecture, it's a disgrace that they are going to demolish it. I'm not a fan at all of the De Vere hotel I'm afraid, it's very Postmodern. It looks like a stack of Lego bricks! Hmmn, it's almost Brutalist except with a different finish.

Le Harv: No, I meant the Hampshire Council offices, in Tower Street I think, near to the train station. There is an old fashioned building with an iron pig outside it and behind that is a huge Brutalist concrete office block and car park. Here's a map of Nelson Gate for you Dan: https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//nelsongate.jpg align=baseline>

Yes, I do like the Skandia building! Here's a photo: http://www.garyreggae.co.uk/southampton/images/bbb_skandiahouse001.JPG align=baseline> There are always riot vans in Millbrook, by the way if you want to add a flavour of Millbrook to your cities, Millbrook Towers is on the STEX (along with it's equally undesirable ugly sisters!). Some Winchester buildings are a good idea. I did a version of Winchester Guildhall for SC3000 but I won't be remaking it. I like the multistorey car park next to the Hamsphire County Council offices and the Police HQ as well. In fact my Police HQ building on the STEX was inspired by Winchester's one.

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.

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.

Yes, it has stood up to the elements pretty well. It is quite a different style of concrete to that normally used on brutalist buildings.

It would be Southamptoners rather than Southamptonites although I don't think either word is widely used. I have seen the word 'Sotonians' used as 'Soton' is a common abbreviated name for the city. Anyway Tonks, your Norwich House looks very much like the real thing (apart from the blue and green colours of course ). Here's a photo of the real thing: http://www.garyreggae.co.uk/southampton/images/aaa_nelsongate001.JPG align=baseline> For the texturing, you want a heavily textured Brutalist concrete. This building deviates from the normal Brutalist style somewhat by using different materials (it's actually late Brutalist). The concrete has vertical 'ridges' and is very rough.

Great photo of Portsdown Park, I don't remember it either but it was notorious and only existed for about 20 years. I think there were severe structural problems with it. I can't think of any smaller Brutalist buildings to hand, generally the style is about huge and complex megastructures but if I think of any smaller buildings, I'll post them.

Wow, this is fantastic!!! It is so detailed!!!

Congratulations and long may it continue!!! You've put a tremendous amount of energy and enthusiasm into producing some unique buildings and your BAT skills just keep getting better and better! Keep up the good work! Your Solent arch-rival GaryReggae!

Wow, these are both really good.

rp2005: Thanks, it's a good idea about using the upper storeys of City Walls House for one of my W2W shops, I will do that. deadwoods: Yes, that is one of the major criticisms of Brutalism. The style was formed in France where the weather is better than Britain, unfortunately the concrete doesn't stand up too well against the British rain. Also, if the buildings were maintained properly then the concrete wouldn't stain. That was the main problem with The Tricorn, it was negelected so badly that the concrete got stained.

How on earth could I have missed Guys Hospital, it's huge!! Odainsaker: Yes, I am a big fan of Tange, I've seen some of his buildings in an architecture book I have and it's a great example of the style. RP2005: I like that Bradford & Bingley building a lot! Thanks for sharing it! Toxicpiano: Yes, London's National Theatre is Brutalist. It was designed by Denys Lasdun who designed a lot of other great Brutalist buildings. Anyway, I took my camera to Southampton City Centre today to photograph architecture, here's some Brutalist buildings: Norwich House: Wyndham Court (Grade 2 Listed) Brutalist flats: Castle House, a Brutalist tower block in the city centre: City Walls House (vacant): Capital House (vacant) & East Street Centre: Part of Southampton City College: You can view all my photos here: http://www.garyreggae.co.uk/southampton/

Grerat Barbican site!!! Here are some sites about The Tricorn: http://www.braggs1.fsnet.co.uk/50s/architecture/reflections.htm http://www.rmaz.co.uk/tricorn.html http://www.vodex.me.uk/portsmouth/tricorn.php http://www.tricorn.doughnut.org.uk/ http://www.arthurflowers.co.uk/ruthberg/tricorn.htm http://www.bbc.co.uk/southampton/webcams/tricorn.shtml http://www.garfnet.org.uk/pictures/index.htm?20030629.htm http://www.timmcginley.com/Tricorn.html This one is about Brutalism in general but it's very interesting: http://www.braggs1.fsnet.co.uk/50s/architecture/concrete.htm

Charsengrafs: The Shakespeare and Lauderdale towers in The Barbican Centre are currently the tallest residential buildings in the UK, they are 403 feet with 43 storeys!!! After that is the slightly lower Cromwell Tower, also in The Barbican. I think the Red Road towers were the highest in Europe at their time of construction (the 1960s) but when The Barbican was constructed in the 1970s, it claimed the title of the UK's tallest residential building. Fareham Civic Centre would be a good building to BAT. I've found another picture of the Derwent Tower, it was designed by Owen Luder, the architect responsible for The Tricorn!!! There is info about it and Owen Luders other buildings here Here's another Brutalist tower block I've found a photo of, this one's in Gosport:

Wow, nice work Tonks, a very good reproduction of the real thing! One suggestion is add a little bit more definition between the floors. You've got the vertical structs between the window section great but I think the RL building has horizontal struts above and below the pink panels (thinner than the vertical ones) so essentially the front of the building has a grid of concrete struts across it (a tecnique first used by Le Corbusier who called such struts 'Brise Soleil'. Anyway, I can't wait to have this in my cities, it's a really rough-looking, run down building but it is beautiful in it's simplicity. It does remind me of my Police HQ building as well!

Date: 6/24/2005 11:36:42 AM Author: GingerBlokey Brutalist is somthing which should be much more appreciated. Great Yarmouth Libarary, Shopping Centre, Bus Station and Office Blocks are all brutalist.quote> I visited Great Yarmouth recently, the Market Gate shopping centre is kind of Brutalist (late Brutalist, 1970s I reckon), a bit like Fareham in Hampshire's shopping centre. It's predominantly brick faced. The bus station definitely has a Brutalist design although again, it's faced in brick. I haven't seen the Library but I know there's a Brutalist office block near ASDA. The best Brutalist building in Great Yarmouth was the tower until the Postmodernist refurbishers came along and disguised it as an ancient temple. Yuk!!! mentarman: Yes, that building is definitely a Brutalist design - just faced with brick to tone it down a bit. A lot of late Brutalist buildings have that effect. I would say that building was late 60s/early 70s.

Here's a photo of some very Brutalist flats in Manchester. Of course, they're long gone. I really must BAT some Brutalist walk-up flats like these or Park Hill at some point!

Modernism is generally characterised by simple geometric shapes with little or decorative features. Modern buildings are usually constructed from materials such as steel, glass and concrete and generally (but not always) have flat roofs. Brutalistm is characterised by the extensive use of raw, exposed concrete. Brutalist buildings are usually strongly geometric but can feature more abstract shapes as well. Other characteristics include narrow, slit-like windows and often lots of different layers and decks with a different layout on each floor of the building. It goes further than Modernism but not only doing away with the use of decoration completely but by leaving surfaces untreated. Postmodernism is a fusion of classical architecture and more modern styles so you might see a contemporary style shop or office block with a Roman portico. It's often quite abstract with unusual combinatiosn of shapes and it is less governed by conventions than Modernism or Brutalism. That's my interpretation of the different styles! As for the building Glenni posted, it's late Brutalist, certainly Modernist. THe style of the columns and curtain walls is exposed concrete but the design of the building with the fairly large windows is more in keeping with Modernism. I would say it was late 60s/early 70s.

Date: 6/23/2005 3:36:12 PM Author: ILL Tonkso Date: 6/23/2005 1:36:12 PM Author: gascooker Tonks - didn't you once BAT a bit of the Tricorn as a carpark, but without the helix ramps?quote> No, thats Gary's.quote> Yes - it's here: 60a Car Park & Bus Station . It's not brilliant though. It's one of my earlier BATs so no modding or nightlighting but it is certainly based on The Tricorn, it's the car park element of it but no spiral ramps. I will hopefully be building the entire thing eventually although I am currently waiting for the architect's plans from Portsmouth City Council.

I reckon the Maxis Brick texture would work well on the sides of the building although you might need to darken it a bit. The concrete frame can be done with a standard concrete texture, try this one The panels under the windows should just be filled with a simple pinkish texture. Copy your photo of the building into Photoshop, use the eyedropper to select the panels then create a new image and fill with that colour. Then use the Texturiser under Filters to roughen it up very slightly (add a bit of Grain). But don't make it too rough, it's a pretty smooth surface. Add an extra layer with a gradient fill to darken the bottom edge of the image and maybe add a few dirty smudges to make it look a bit scruffy. Any 'dirt' should be subtle though. Let me know how you get on, I can do a texture for you if you like.

Date: 6/23/2005 1:18:17 PM Author: ILL Tonkso I saw somepne mention the Trellick Tower, i was disgussing that with FrogFace the other day. It is the UK's Tallest 1960's Residence and a Listed building.quote> Yes you're right - although the Shakespeare and Lauderdale Towers in The Barbican Centre are the highest residential Brutalist buildings but they weren't completed until 1976.

Gascooker: I would love it if you BATted the Trellick Tower! Chartsengrafs: I love the Alton Estate, it's so distinctive! It reminds me a bit of Le Corbusier's Unite D'Habitation: Anyway, here's some more Brutalist buildings I've found: London's Brunswick Centre: Lowestoft Library: A building I recently had the pleasure of visiting. Although it's recently been refurbished, it has been done very respectfully and the Brutalist style of the building has been maintained: Doncaster Arndale Centre (just found this, it looks lovely!!!): Flats by Denys Lasdun in London: Royal College of Physicians in London by Denys Lasdun: Student housing at the University of East Anglia, Norwich: Basildon Shopping Centre - Basil Spence - The University of Sussex. Not particularly Brutalist but the arches remind me of St Peter's.

Wow, there's some great buildings here! It's very good news about the 'Get Carter' car park. I also like the Trellick Tower and the Park Hill estate in Sheffield although I've never been there.