London Architecture - The Best of Brutalism

London Architecture - The Best of Brutalism

29 March, 2011
by: TomArmstrong

As London says goodbye to the Heygate Estate, we take a look at some of our best loved Brutalist buildings

London's beauty is in its diversity. To walk through our capital is to be taken on a tour of 2,000 years of civilisation, not just in the culture and people but in the streets and buildings that make up the very fabric of what we know today. Even our least loved buildings stand as monuments to our history. Perhaps least loved of all are those structures built in the 20th century post-war style known as Brutalism – harsh, raw concrete blocks which upon first glance do little to stimulate the senses and have been derided by the public ever since.

Despite unpopularity in some quarters – particularly in Elephant and Castle where the local council are controversially demolishing the Brutalist Heygate Estate – it seems that the majority of these buildings are here to stay. Most have acquired grade II listed status in recent years and are seeing a new wave of appreciation. It's time we learnt to love our Brutalist friends, and with that in mind, we've compiled a list of our favourite examples of Brutalist London.

Barbican Estate (pictured above)
Where: City of London
Built: 1973-76

Perhaps the most recognised example of Brutalism, the Barbican Complex has had a barrage of abuse thrown at it since the three imposing towers pierced London's skyline in the early 1970s. It recently won the shaming title of 'London's Ugliest Building', but like most Brutalist structures, you just have to look that little bit harder to see the true beauty. The way the geometric lines and shapes play off of each other, the way the balconies jut from each tower with perfect metronomic precision. It's certainly harsh, and you probably won't find any tourists wanting to take it home on a fridge magnet, but that rawness should be appreciated.

National Theatre
Where: South Bank
Built: 1976-77

The National Theatre has split public opinion down the middle since it was built, frequently making London's top ten best and worst buildings lists. It was even described by that great architectural nose-poker Prince Charles as “a clever way of building a nuclear power station in the middle of London without anyone objecting”. But a recent exterior lighting scheme has given new life to the pale grey concrete, now making it a feature on the South Bank's skyline and changing public opinion dramatically. The view from Waterloo Bridge fully realises the building's true beauty: it's definitely worth a look.

Trellick Tower
Where: North Kensington
Built: 1972

Unfortunately, around the same time that London architects were embracing Brutalism, government spending cuts were leaving many housing estates in a state of neglect. This, coupled with a rise in anti-social crime meant that Brutalism became synonymous with urban decay, and therefore unpopular with the public. Erno Goldfinger's Trellick Tower is a prime example. The tabloids were brimming with stories of heroin addicts living in the basement and women being attacked in the lifts – not the sort of place anyone would want to be associated with. In a recent turnaround that's representative of a wider appreciation of Brutalism, the estate has stepped up security and banished its former reputation. Today, the few privately owned flats have become highly desirable apartments.

Brunswick Centre
Where: Between Russell Square and Brunswick Square
Built: 1972

A council estate which felt the full vitriol of the backlash against Modernism, Patrick Hodgkinson's Brunswick Centre has seen recent renovation turn a bleak concrete jungle it into a stylish shopping complex complete with boutiques and an independent cinema. The walls, which were left raw and unpainted for years by a council short on money, have been given a splash of colour and have seen the public become enamoured by its raw charm. It's another good example of a Brutalist structure which hasn't been left to age, naked and embarrassed, before being torn down (as in Elephant and Castle), but re-appraised and adapted for a modern, forward-thinking London.

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Images: drinksmachine, Banalities, Drumaboy, Phil Gyford

TomArmstrong