Brutal London: A Photographic Exploration of Post-War London

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Brutalism, or ‘New Brutalism’ as it was sometimes referred to, has its roots in modernism but emerged as a movement against the architectural mainstream. It placed an emphasis on materials, textures and construction as well as functionality and equality. The brutalist architects challenged traditional notions of what a building should look like, focussing on interior spaces as much as exterior. They also showed the building’s construction, unafraid to make a feature of service towers, lifts, plumbing and ventilation ducts in their creations. In some cases, this was a celebration of the abundant energy available for the first time. The ‘Seven Sisters’ Moscow 1947-1953 Image: Howard Morris We asked Alisa her feelings about British Brutalism.

Brutal London: Construct Your Own Concrete Capital

The Standard had been searching for the right building in London for many years and suddenly the stars aligned; the brutalist façade of the Camden Town Hall Annexe already looked like a Standard and was perfectly located at the center of the compass as far as London is concerned”, says Bruce Robertson, Managing Director of The Standard, London, which took over the building. The Grade I listed building overlooks leafy Regent’s Park and sits amidst the area’s palatial Regency architecture, somehow managing to be sympathetic to both whilst also standing out as a modernist masterpiece in its own right. The StandardBrutalist architecture sought to showcase the materials buildings were constructed of, as well as the functional components of its structures. By doing away with, to some extent, the Brutalist’s straight edges and hard lines, One Kemble Street makes itself into a fine example of the brash, brutalist architecture of the 60s – one that shows little care for the buildings around it but stakes a big claim to its landscape. Once referred to as the NLA / Noble Lowndes Annuities Tower, most people affectionately refer to it as the ‘50p building’ in Croydon, given its unique shape.

Brutal London: why does brutalism invoke such strong opinions Brutal London: why does brutalism invoke such strong opinions

Get the whole family involved in the Jean Dubuffet: Brutal Beauty exhibition with our interactive exercises in our Family Activity Sheet Given the smaller scale, we wouldn’t say this is worth a special journey in itself in terms of Brutalist London architecture but it’s fine to combine it with a day trip to Highgate. How to get to Lulot Gardens The Barbican area was devastated by bombing during WWII and the replacement residential buildings that make up the Barbican Estate were completed by the early 1970s. As such, things like lift shafts, ventilation ducts, staircases – even boiler rooms, were integrated into the fabric of the building in ways that celebrated them as distinct features rather than hidden away.When, finally, and probably not under the Tory look-alike Labour Party which has long since disconnected from its working class base, investment in social housing is considered as a political necessity it may only be after some quasi-revolutionary change at the heart of the nation. The Royal Festival Hall is the largest venue in the Southbank Centre. Designed by Robert Matthew with Leslie Martin and Peter Munro, it was designed to represent the optimism and forward-thinking attitude of postwar Britain.

Brutal Kits - by Zupagrafika Brutal Kits - by Zupagrafika

Opening with an informative history of the origins and philosophy of Brutalism, the book features 9 buildings to assemble: Alexandra Road Estate, Alton Estate, Aylesbury Estate, Ledbury Estate, National Theatre, Robin Hood Gardens, Barbican Estate, Balfron Tower and Space House.

This piece of prime London brutalism also recently caught the attention of Grammy winner Harry Styles, with the brutalist Barbican taking a starring role in his music video for As It Was. To be fair, we always thought One Direction’s original music was also pretty Brutal. Architecture of Doom– Photographer Weronika Dudka shares stunning images with handy alphabetical indexing. Alongside his own work, the exhibition features works from his collection of Art Brut (a phrase he coined, which translates as ‘raw art’). Acquired throughout his life, these works, and the artists that created them, profoundly impacted his approach to the making and meaning of art. Brutalism wasn’t just used for high-rises, though. With the Alexandra Road estate, completed in 1978, architect Neave Brown saw the architectural style as a way to construct a modernist vision of a terraced street. Its architectural merits – although chastised for its expense during the time of construction – was recognised early, becoming the first post-war council estate to be listed in 1993. As was the case with its high-rise cousins, the flats in the Alexandra Road estate were designed to be egalitarian, a notion that holds true with the majority of Brutalist housing.

Islington’s brutalist architecture showcased in new book

Please note, you will need to book at least two weeks in advance if you would like a free exhibition introduction as part of your visit.

For us, the ‘best’ residential example of Brutalist architecture in London has to be Alexandra and Ainsworth Estate in the London borough of Camden. From hidden housing estates to concrete cultural centres, brutalism London is still very much visible in the capital.