The grandest entry

The world has witnessed the rise and fall of many epochal events. Dinosaurs that once terrorized every other life form on earth met their end due to a cataclysmic meteorite impact. The legendary tales of conquerors like Genghis Khan and Alexander the Great, although extraordinary, also concluded. After India gained its independence, it might have been the next breaking news that captured the attention of architects, when Le Corbusier was commissioned to plan and build the new capital of Punjab in Chandigarh. Le Corbusier architecture could be described as gigantic concrete monoliths that stood immovable even from the might of gods. Along with contemporaneous examples of Brutalism architecture like the Salt Lake Institute, these buildings now faced their inevitable decline. But to know how the curtains drew to a close, one must first grasp the essence of Brutalism; only then could one understand how the death of brutalism came to be.

Brutalism, emerging from the shadows of Modernism, cast its imposing presence, unapologetically raw and monumental. The style had only a brief period in the limelight, from the 1950s to the 1970s, and boy did it make its presence felt. Although it originated in England, it spread like wildfire throughout the world, especially due to its utilitarian and simplicity of design.

B?ton brut – Raw concrete

Characterized by its Blocky and heavy appearance, Simple graphic lines, and Monochromatic palette eschewing all forms of ornamentation. The use of raw, exposed concrete (and occasionally brick) with rough, unfinished surfaces might seem to suggest its name, but Brutalism refers to the architecture’s material and construction rather than its appearance. The term?coined by Swedish architect Hans Asplund as “brutalism” and popularized by British architectural critic Reyner Banham in 1955?is a play on the French phrase for raw concrete, “b?ton brut – French for raw concrete, by Le Corbusier.
Its traces of modernism can be found in the style’s affinity to modern materials such as steel, glass, and even wood.

Initially, Brutalism thrived in the post-war era, facilitating the rapid reconstruction of cities. The style was ideal for large-scale public buildings and infrastructure projects, often employing prefabricated techniques to meet urgent demands.

The Nosedive decline

Despite its popularity, brutalism could ultimately never escape its association with totalitarian regimes. Brutalism criticism and reception had mostly become negative mostly because these heavy grey slabs were often used to construct institutional buildings, it made them feel even more impenetrable, colourless, and imposing. Thus began the gradual Brutalism movement decline.

By the mid-1980s, Brutalism?s popularity waned. Its strong, intimidating, and exposed aesthetics, once celebrated, had become alienating and monstrous. While brutalist buildings were a one-man show of concrete displaying the might of a thousand elephants, began to reveal their weaknesses from inside their steel reinforcements. And like the Achilles who could only be beaten with an arrow on his heel, the strength of concrete gave way to its demise, with instances of concrete crumbling on the edges and causing cracks elsewhere. maintaining the surfaces proved difficult, especially due to its water weakness. When algae started the surface decay from the cracks, vandals carried out the job with their spray paint batons, announcing urban decay in the lands.

The scale of buildings that portrayed this style was also hard to comprehend for people. while most initial buildings were public buildings especially catering to a community or a mass of people, since concrete could span enough and more, stand high and tall, it created a difference in scale, incongruent with people so much so that the resonance was lost.

All hail idealism

For those familiar with Ayn Rand’s “The Fountainhead,” Howard Roark’s destructive act to preserve his architectural vision echoes Brutalist ideals. This may be evident from his laughter, the one after he bombs the social housing because his raw aesthetics were spoiled by Peter Keating. The resistance to any form of compromise, and a focus on the architect?s vision over user needs typify Roark?s approach, aligning more with Modernism but prefiguring Brutalism. Egoistic designs where “I” stood above all, where the building was to be the centrepiece of everything, and where the needs of people didn’t matter as much as the idealism of the architect perfectly symbolizes the Howard Roark architectural style.
While his hate towards ornamentation and love for cantilevered slabs of thick concrete might point towards a brutalist approach, chances are that it was a predecessor of that – the modernist movement.

A revival perhaps?

Today, the expression of material imperfections has found a place in mainstream design, and concrete’s ability to juxtapose nicely with warm accents like wood, brass, and neutral colours aids its appeal. Even to this day, brutalist buildings are being constructed, probably much less expressive, and even more subtle. While Brutalist buildings are still constructed, they are often more subtle and less expressive. This common misconception misses the essence of Brutalism: the raw expression of concrete?s inherent strength and capability. As long as concrete?s unparalleled structural abilities remain unchallenged, Brutalism will persist in some form, embodying its core principles.

To anyone looking to learn about the style of architecture that created shockwaves from controversial debates all over, here are some of the best examples.

1. Geisel Library at UC San Diego
2. The Proto-Brutalist Building: Unit? d?Habitation de Marseille 
3. Boston City Hall (1968) in Boston, Massachusetts
4. Russian State Scientific Center for Robotics and Technical Cybernetics in St. Petersburg, Russia
5. Wotrubakirche, in Austria
6. Torres Blancas, Madrid Spain
7. Le Brasilia, Marseille
8. Royal National Theatre, London
9. Paradero hotel, Todos Santos, Mexico
10. Boston City Hall, Boston, Massachusetts

Sources

• https://www.thespruce.com/what-is-brutalism-4796578
• https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/b/brutalism
• https://www.dezeen.com/tag/brutalism
• https://99designs.com/blog/design-history-movements/brutalism
• https://www.housebeautiful.com/design-inspiration/a60229225/brutalist-style-design
• https://blog.360modern.com/brutalism-sucks-and-deserves-the-slow-painful-death-its-had/2020/10/#:~:text=Brutalism%20was%20dropped%20by%20any,a%20great%20use%20of%20concrete.