10 Facts About Brutalist architecture

Brutalist architecture is an architectural style that emerged during the 1950s in the United Kingdom, among the reconstruction projects of the post-war era.

Brutalist architecture designs became most commonly used in the design of institutional buildings, such as universities, libraries, courts, and city halls.

The best-known beton brut architecture is the proto-Brutalist work of the Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier, in particular his 1952 Unite d'habitation in Marseille, France; the 1953 Secretariat Building in Chandigarh, India; and the 1955 church of Notre Dame du Haut in Ronchamp, France.

Brutalist architecture buildings are usually constructed with reoccurring modular elements representing specific functional zones, distinctly articulated and grouped together into a unified whole.

Common theme in Brutalist architecture designs is the exposure of the building's inner-workings—ranging from their structure and services to their human use—in the exterior of the building.

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The University of Minnesota's West Bank campus features several Brutalist architecture buildings, including the performing arts venue, Rarig Center, one of Ralph Rapson's most important works and the best example of Brutalism in the Twin Cities.

The University of Louisville Belknap Campus has several Brutalist architecture buildings, including the Bingham Humanities Building and the Interfaith Center.

The Iowa State Center at Iowa State University originally consisted of five buildings in the Brutalist architecture style, including a theatre, auditorium, coliseum, stadium, and events centre, as well as connecting elevated promenades.

Brutalism has some severe critics, including Charles III, whose speeches and writings on Brutalist architecture have excoriated Brutalism, calling many of the structures "piles of concrete" and likening them to "a monstrous carbuncle".

Brutalist architecture stated that the reinforced concrete "does not age gracefully but instead crumbles, stains, and decays", which makes alternative building styles superior.