Are there any fans of Brutalism?

[jonae]

We are thinking about moving into a 1970s brutalist apartment. When we mention this to people or show photographs of the block, they recoil or comment how ugly it is.

We love it!

I love it. I work in a listed building designed by Basil Spence in the 60s. Beautiful. Lucky you OP!

@Persipan I’ve got mine ear marked. Not sharing here in case someone else nabs it!

Thanks! That's a present for DP and DB sorted!!

Oh I love brutalism! When they pulled down the Tricorn in Portsmouth I was really upset because I'd always loved it - even back when absolutely everyone said how ugly Brutalist architecture was.

I've always had a hankering to live in a Brutalist tower block although I'm sure the reality might be different to my fantasy!

For anyone who didn't know what the Tricorn was -
Tricorn

Some buildings have a futuristic magic about them. e.g. Panorama Hotel in Slovakia used as the sleeve artwork on an album by Belorrusian band Molchat Doma.

I also studied at Brunel University - the brutalist architecture of the campus was a memorable feature of the Kubrick film Clockwork Orange - I had many lectures in this building.. and happy memories of my time on the campus especially in the summer.

I bumbled past the old Tricorn site this afternoon. I remember it being so fugly but now there's the car park and back of Cascades and that's even fuglier.

Didn't King Charles have something to do with the Tricorn?

Love it! There are some flats/houses near where I live in Frimley by Lawrence Abbott - things of beauty!

Yes here, I love it too!

This one is magnificent and terrifying in equal measure.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-47819137

Such a fab here too.. I was at Uni in Durham and the Student Union building, plus one of the bridges were always my favourite buildings despite all the history in the city!! Love the Barbican (my husband lived there post Uni..) and I’m still transfixed by Brutalist architecture…

I used to work in this Brutalist building and it genuinely affected my mental health

Some of it I like, some I loathe.

In the the right, prosperous place and if it was well executed and maintained it can be striking. The Southbank centre is great, although having the main entrance at first floor level is puzzling. The National Theatre is less appealing, but has a warmth once you get inside. The Barbican feels like it should be a criminal's paradise if it were located anywhere else.

Meanwhile, Coventry Cathedral looks like a giant concrete turd from the outside but is saved by its haunting connection to the spires of the old, bombed Cathedral and the glorious light that is only revealed after walking its length.

For the hideous, chilling, depressing mess that Basil Spence made of the Gorbels in Glasgow (before it was knocked down) he should be ashamed. It shortened lives while he escaped to the beauty of neo-classical Edinburgh New Town.

Too much wankerism bound up in brutalism and not enough thought of the human experience.

In my opinion.

Swiss Cottage Library?
Alexander Estate, Rowley Way, Brunswick Centre... we had some cracking architecture in Camden in the 1960s/70s, I've got a book on it somewhere. Maybe not exactly brutalist, but also LB Camden, my favourite London building is the Post Office Tower (ok, BT Tower to young 'uns)

I was thinking about the Tricorn too. Loved seeing it as I walked to the tax office every day.

It can look amazing but the bad stuff is a bit Peterlee town centre.

Durham student Union is a brutalist building. I love the lines but it's really showing its age and has become expensive to maintain.

I once knew someone who lived in the Barbican. The estate looked beautiful (to me, anyway). The architecture was fascinating and their flat was a lovely cosy contrast to the dramatic structures outside.

The twentieth century society, eh?

Sign me up. I love brutalism.

You love it. So, why care what anyone else thinks?

The lovers of brutalist architecture here would ADORE the painter Jen Orpin. Her finest paintings are of the the thunderbird style 60s futuristic service station on the M6 near Lancaster

I think Durham University had deliberately let the SU fall into disrepair in order to try to get rid of it, so I’m glad it was listed. Properly maintained and used it could be amazing with those river views. Goes so well with Kingsgate Bridge.

Yes. The listing was a good outcome. They had done very little maintenance on it and it's not like they don't have the money to constantly build new buildings all over Durham so they should be looking after this one.

Love the Barbican, we used to live a short walk away and spent many lockdown days exploring the walkways and gardens. We had many happy times at Squish Space before they closed it, we'd go every week after swimming. I wouldn't want to live there, with the rules and service charges, but that's how they keep it looking authentic.
We're at the Southbank regularly for shows and it's such a nice place to hang out and let toddlers roam.
Now we've moved close to the Alexandra Road Estate which has great playgrounds to explore.

Oh do it op. I definitely would.
Some people are just so scared by something a bit different.

Anyone else just shopped at People will always need plates? 🤣