How to Love Brutalism

by John Grindrod

A passionate and personal book about the writer's own love for a controversial architectural style. Whether you love or hate brutalist buildings, this book will explain what it is about them that elicits such strong feeling. You will understand the true power of concrete and of mammoth-sized buildings, but also some of the more subtle aspects of brutalist buildings that you may not have known or considered. Brutalist architecture, which flourished in the 1950s to mid-1970s, gained its name from the term ' Béton-brut', or raw concrete – the material of choice for the movement. British architectural critic Reyner Banham adapted the term into 'brutalism' (originally 'New Brutalism') to identify the emerging style. The architectural style – typified by buildings such as Trellick Tower in London and Unité D'Habitation in Marseille – is controversial but has an enthusiastic fan base, including the author who is on a mission to explain his passion. John Grindrod's book will be enlightening for those new to the subject, bringing humour, insight and honesty to the subject but will also interest those already immersed in built culture. Illustrated with striking drawings by The Brutal Artist, the book is divided up into a series of mini essays that explains the brutalist world from a human aspect, as well as an architectural, historical and even pop cultural angle. The book journeys from the UK to discover brutalism and its influence around the world – from Le Corbusier's designs in Chandigarh, India, to Lina Bo Bardi's buildings in Brazil.

Genres: Architecture, Nonfiction, Art, History

144 pages, Hardcover

Published August 7, 2018

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite readable, if only as a brief only-scratching-the-surface introduction to the topic. The format is 20 (very short) essays on brutalism, including ones on its origins, issues and legacy, highlighted with examples of brutalist buildings (existing and already demolished) from around the world.

I liked the illustrations but would have preferred more images of the buildings the author uses as examples - I found myself having to put down the book and Google lots of the buildings Grindrod refers to as I was a) not familiar with them and; b) his descriptions only go so far in conveying what they’re really like.

[Adam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Instructions unclear. I (still) do not love brutalism.

The issue here is that architects don’t know how to write books. Either we get a pseudo-poetry, or we get history mixed with an editorial. In both cases (the latter of which is what we receive here), any actual discussion of architecture is implausible after the first chapter. I unashamedly skimmed and skipped to the last 2 chapters of this book before I found any non-history discussion of the virtues of brutalism, and that was after pushing through several accounts of how individual architects bravely rocked the boat by building concrete boxes.

Nowhere are we presented with an intellectual defense of brutalism. There’s never a comparison with more traditional styles, or a suggestion as to where each one’s place is. What I came away with was the realization that people worked really hard to make buildings this ugly. I can appreciate some levels of brutalism. I happen to be writing this from a space on the University of Mary campus which isn’t the worst style of brutalism I’ve seen. The grooves in the concrete contrast with the well-placed glass and the creative use of square space to lend an open feel to a room which would otherwise suffer from lack of light and a cramped feel. But on the whole, I’d still find a traditional, wood-walled interior adorned with paintings, curtains, and artistry a more comfortable and respectable space for a college.

All architectural philosophies aside, if you want to love brutalism, go research it and find buildings you enjoy. This book will progress neither an appreciation nor distaste for brutalism - it will simply spend your time in its company, without presenting you a single argument in either direction.

[Ozgur Senogul · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good but shallow book on a super-intellectual issue (at least from my point of view). I can say that we can assume it as a pamphlet rather than a book, indeed. May be it can be a humble introductory for beginners of architectural brutalism. The examples are well-known ones. To be honest, i would like to find more clues, ideas and details about fundamental doctrines of brutalism. Because brutalism is more than an architectural era and genre as seen in the transformation of world after the WW2 till today.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this introduction to Brutalist and Modernist post-war architecture. Great introduction to historical contexts of this architectural movement, and explanation of the controversy surrounding brutalist buildings. Also points to a number of international examples of this style and what makes each one particularly interesting.

Mission accomplished - I certainly do love Brutalism now. Excited to seek out more Brutalist gems after the lockdown is over. Only 4 stars because there weren’t enough images of the buildings discussed and I had to google them.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Highly recommend reading with an image search open beside you so you can look at all the name dropped buildings.

[Sandor · Rating 5 out of 5]

il brutalismo è stato come la comparsa dei dinosauri. I primi esemplari negli anni 50 frutto della storia e dell’evoluzione, gigantesche assurde creature negli anni 60, dinosauri che coesistono con altre nuove specie negli anni70. e poi l’arrivo dell’asteroide: la crisi petrolifera del 73, Reagan e Thatcher, la fine del welfare.

[Simón · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book, great collection of amazing buildings, but painful lack of visual support. Throughout 140 odd pages, the author describes and mentions scores of interesting buildings... but not a single picture and only some drawings can be found in the book. If you want to follow, you need to search for pictures in parallel (which is OK, but really tedious...)

Anyway: if you're interested in Brutalism, this is worth reading: if only it had pictures, it would easily be a 5-star piece.

[western_teleport]

In the opening pages of How To Love Brutalism, John Grindrod, in a bold dismissal of an obvious thesis, remarks “I can’t help thinking that if you need a book called How To Love Brutalism, then perhaps brutalism is not for you”. Thankfully I went into this book already converted - I know very little of architecture, but the field remains ever-alluring, and brutalist buildings have always had a distinct beauty to me for whatever reason. The author and I feel a similar connection to the minimalist and bare qualities, one that many other people do not, which was nice to have in mind while reading. In all honesty, I can kind of see where he’s coming from with this line - as this book will tell you in detail, the architectural style’s uncompromising use of raw concrete and association with post-WWII council housing (among other factors) have designated it a source of often intense hatred. With Grindrod devoting most of the twenty essays in this book to the history, ideology and cultural representations of brutalism, evidently he sees actually conforming to overt persuasion a futile exercise. This leaves How To Love Brutalism, which isn’t all that frank about how to love brutalism, struggling for a target audience. The fleeting lengths of the essays means I - someone who likes how brutalist buildings look but doesn't know jack about them - am left only with minor tidbits. I get the impression that there's a lot more to this topic that Grindrod is willing to explore. The nineteenth essay in particular (on brutalism’s new-found appeal), which I expected to be one of the most interesting, is disappointingly half-baked. I was left simply with the knowledge that it exists, rather than any insightful explanation of how such an attitude - which starkly contrasts most of the attitudes presented prior - came to be. To the book's credit, the essays cover a broad range of topics, and overall have certainly fostered a deeper interest and understanding of brutalism (and by extension architecture and art movements). Will they leave an impact deeper than a surface-level on how I “love” brutalism from now on? I’m not sure. You might think this cursory nature would fashion How To Love Brutalism a subversive beginner’s guide, but I’m not sold on this either. For instance, the first fifth conflates the movements of brutalism and modernism to a certain extent, this discussion of modernism eventually justified as contextualising brutalism. A simple mental distinction for the more knowledgeable readers I’m sure, but for me? A confusing reading experience, remedied with an eventual Google search that made the visual similarities obvious. Googling is quite key to this book, actually. Grindrod, tangibly knowledgeable for sure, cites countless works throughout, including one essay devoted to a delightfully earnest world tour. Whisked everywhere from Berlin to Nairobi, key buildings have attention keenly drawn to. What Grindrod is less eager to do, however, is showcase these buildings in a manner that does them justice. His descriptions, while tinged with deep appreciation, are often rudimentary at best (although comparing the Salk Institute for Biological Studies to the setting of a futuristic Western was fun). Most of the time we are forced to turn to the text's visual accompaniments i.e. the baffling decision to render the buildings in black-and-white sketches. The lines often wobble and distort, losing the sheer precision and majesty the words are trying to sell, so you'll probably just end up Googling a picture, internally going "Oh, ok", and then continuing to read until you inevitably bump into another.

On the whole, I'm lukewarm. The title implies an argumentative, convincing piece filled with the energy of taking a unique viewpoint, but ends up with a more subversive approach - the reader learns to love brutalism through developing their own lens, with the help of the informative and quietly passionate Grindrod. It's a bit too steep for complete newcomers, and too introductory for the more refined brutalism appreciator, placing this book tonally for people who kind of know about brutalism but not really (a.k.a me) - however, the fleeting essays and underwhelming visuals leave me with little to chew on.

[Nick · Rating 2 out of 5]

A series of short essays on the divisive Brutalist architectural movement is probably going to be a bit of a hard sell for most people. The book suffers in that it doesn't appear to have a clear target audience - the content is probably too shallow for many true aficionados of Brutalist architecture (who will already be familiar with many of the buildings cited), and the themes while interesting, are explored only very briefly. It also isn't going to win over any new fans (the book is very much aware that it is preaching to the choir). If you don't like Brutalism already, this probably won't change your mind because there simply isn't enough information here to get a comprehensive picture of the movement.
The biggest problem with the book is in it's presentation. Many buildings are referenced, but there is not a single photograph - instead there are a small handful of flat, black and white sketches that are dull and uninspiring. A book like this begs for high contrast black and white photographs so that the weight of the forms and the play of light on the concrete can be seen, the inclusion of crude line renderings misses the mark completely and is utterly baffling.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great tongue-in-cheek (but ultimately respectful) introduction to that architectural style lovingly named "Brutalism." As other reviewers have noted, the book suffers from a lack of photographs of the buildings discussed (what? I have to google that?!?!), but nonetheless this is a good entry point into the early history as well as the is-it-Brutal-or-is-it-not question, which is endlessly asked on listservs the world over. I personally adore how monumental, abstract, and introverted Brutalism can be, delivering awe, art, and comfort is one healthy spoonful. Hopefully more people will be bitten by the Brutalist bug since these delicious fortresses are being brought down in the name of progress.

[dantelk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a dissapointment, tough I'd be more pleased if the text was a bit more low-level.

Most reviewers expressed their frustration for having to google each and every building listed (and there are a lot). I agree with that, tough after all, I guess you have to accept this book as it is published. Personally i found it slow to research about all the dozens of blocks.

Obviously there is some research about many fine examples of brutalist architecture, but the book does not really give a deeper insight about their stories. Also it is mostly concentrated on the western world, I'd be more happy if it were more biased.

Overall, an easy read. Maybe too easy.

[Vira Tanka · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve had a liking to Brutalist architecture before, but needed more info about it since it’s a very peculiar style to me. Sometimes I’m even not sure why I like it, whereas many think brutalist buildings are plain ugly. This book explains a lot and it kinda justifies my liking to it.

[Richard Hakes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a big book and not a deep and meaningful book more a summary of what building the are and have been that have been given the label Brutalism. I am not sure I gained a lot out of it as it doesn't go into any detail on any particular structure or even why they were built.

[Vuk Trifkovic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great approach to the topic. Wonderful covers and illustrations. Very easy to get lost in it. So many references are visual and it's hard to keep them all in mind's eye.

[Daniel Kerr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful

[Mario Carranza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful book in a beautiful edition

[Caspar Bhalerao · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good starting point on Brutalism and post-war architecture; has a lot of room to develop further.

[Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps not essential, but heartfelt and solid. Concrete even.

[Colin Weil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrific book. Breazy read through the history of this slice of modernism in architecture. Wonderful drawings, I only wish there were photos of the many projects discussed. I suppose my instagram bucket list has been established.