by Mary Paliescheskey

Created on: April 16, 2007   Last Updated: April 25, 2007

Brutalism, when used in describing architecture, is geometric in style and usually contains a lot of poured concrete. It has a rough blocky appearance. This style was inspired by the work of a Swiss architect named Le Corbusier. His 1953 Secretariat Building in Chandigarh, India had a great influence on the movement.

Modernist architecture was popular from 1950 to 1970. The term Brutalist Architecture comes from the French term for raw concrete, beton brut. Le Corbusier used the French term in describing his own work. However, it wasn't until Reyner Banham used the term in the title of his book, "New Brutalism" that the term became part of the common usage.

While using geometric repetition and large amounts of concrete, Brutalism also has blocks of irregularity in the form. The break in the geometric pattern is a jolt to the eye. It draws attention to the building. Brutalism also has places in the structure where either the foundation or other functional aspects of the building are left exposed. For example, heating vents or water pipes are left open to human view.

Brutalism has been criticized for ignoring the existing architecture of its environment. The presence of the large geometric structure amongst more traditional buildings in the environment is jarring. Another criticism is the abstract nature of the structure makes it hard to find functional elements. For example, it can be difficult to find the entrance to some buildings because of the abstract and random nature of the form. Architects who produce these types of buildings wanted to create a modern utopia which was warm and comforting, but the abstract nature has had the opposite effect on people. The difficulty in finding entrances or stairwells makes the structure cold and unwelcoming.

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