The term "brutalism" comes from the French phrase béton brut, which means "raw concrete".
The style
was popularized by architectural historian Reyner Banham in 1954.
Brutalism was a polarizing style that was criticized for being unwelcoming and inhuman. Some say that
brutalist buildings are difficult to maintain and adapt to accessibility standards. Others say that
preserving brutalist buildings is more environmentally friendly than tearing them down.
Brutalist architecture is an architectural style that emerged during the 1950s in the United Kingdom,
among the reconstruction projects of the post-war era. Brutalist buildings are characterised by
minimalist constructions that showcase the bare building materials and structural elements over
decorative design.The style commonly makes use of exposed, unpainted concrete or brick, angular
geometric shapes and a predominantly monochrome colour palette; other materials, such as steel,
timber, and glass, are also featured.
Descending from the modernist movement, brutalism is said to be a reaction against the nostalgia of
architecture in the 1940s.Derived from the Swedish phrase nybrutalism, the term "new brutalism" was
first used by British architects Alison and Peter Smithson for their pioneering approach to design.The
style was further popularised in a 1955 essay by architectural critic Reyner Banham, who also associated
the movement with the French phrases béton brut ("raw concrete") and art brut ("raw art").The style, as
developed by architects such as the Smithsons, Hungarian-born Ernő Goldfinger, and the British firm
Chamberlin, Powell & Bon, was partly foreshadowed by the modernist work of other architects such as
French-Swiss Le Corbusier, Estonian-American Louis Kahn, German-American Mies van der Rohe, and
Finnish Alvar Aalto.
