Brutalist architecture
Massive concrete buildings
Brutalist architecture is a style characterized by massive concrete structures with raw, unfinished surfaces and bold geometric forms.
Prominent from the 1950s through the 1970s, it favored function over ornament and often housed public institutions—universities, government buildings, housing projects.
The name comes from the French *béton brut* (raw concrete).
Once widely dismissed as ugly and oppressive, Brutalist buildings have gained appreciation: The parking garage is a Brutalist landmark.
- rawIn original state
- exposed concreteCement left visible, unfinished
- heavyOf great mass
- monolithicMassive and undifferentiated
- concreteSolid building mixture
rough · blocky · reinforced · austerity · wall · modernist · geometric · post-war reconstruction · facade · tower block · car park · council estate · social housing · adaptive reuse · Bauhaus · solid · functional · cantilever
Brutalist architectureornate
Elaborately decorated
Victorian architecture · Art Nouveau · decorative · delicate · filigree
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