brutalist

Advocate of severity

Brutalist describes a style of architecture prominent from the 1950s through 1970s, characterized by massive concrete forms, raw unfinished surfaces, and bold geometric shapes.

The name comes from the French *béton brut* (raw concrete).

Brutalist buildings often look imposing or fortress-like: The university's brutalist library dominates the campus.

The term extends to other design featuring stark, unadorned functionality.

architecture

concrete

Solid building mixture

rawIn original state
geometricRelating to mathematical shapes
blockyResembling stacked cubes

angular · towering · massive · exposed · structural · formwork · institutional · governmental · urban · podium

movement

Bauhaus

Influential modernist design school

modernistAdvocate of experimental forms
postwarAfter hostilities end
social housingSubsidized rental accommodation

Smithsons · utopian · regeneration · preservation · controversial · revival · endangered

aesthetic

stark

Severe and unadorned

austereSeverely simple and unadorned
bareLacking any covering
unadornedLacking decoration or ornament

monolithic · imposing · severe · utilitarian · spartan · minimalist · rigid · uncompromising · hulking · forbidding

mood

cold

Low temperature state

inhospitableUnwelcoming, harsh to visitors
bleakDreary and without cheer
harshUnpleasantly severe or rough

grim · unwelcoming · sombre · dystopian · oppressive · alienating · intimidating · dehumanizing · totalitarian · Orwellian

texture

aggregate

Combined sum total

cementCalcium powder binding agent
rebarSteel strengthening concrete
pouredMade liquid flow out

tactile · roughness · gray · weathered · stained · patina · ribbed · corrugated · striated · waffle

brutalist

concrete

Bauhaus

stark

cold

aggregate

brutalist

Opposites

Phrases

Categories

Family