Architecture
Brutal London
13th December, 2021
I wouldn’t describe myself as a fan of brutalist architecture, but I’ve always appreciated its intent. It’s straightforward and functional. It wanted low-cost housing to be available to everyone. And when a building focuses entirely on functionality, the emotional warmth comes entirely from the family and the community.
The utopian shine hasn’t stuck to the buildings, but the style still has some fans. Maybe your gift recipient is one of them? Brutal London is a history and case study of nine brutalist projects in London, as well as press-out-and-build paper models. It’s published by Zupagrafika, who also make editions for other locations. They also sell some cool notebooks.