• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
    • First Time Here?
    • Archive
    • London Blogs
  • Blog
  • Travel
    • London Theater Tickets
    • Shopping
    • Tips
    • Tours
    • Transport
    • Maps
    • Parks
    • Resources
    • Restaurants
    • Top 10 London
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Buildings
    • Food
    • London Books
    • Movies
    • Museums
    • Music
    • Pubs
  • Londonism
    • Reviews
    • Fun London
    • Iconic London
    • Life in London
    • London Realities
    • Moving to London
    • Politics
  • The Tube
  • London History
    • Great London Buildings
    • Great Londoners
  • Contact
  • Guidebooks
    • 101 London Travel Tips – Guidebook
    • 101 Free Things to do in London

Londontopia

The Website for People Who Love London

You are here: Home / Culture / Architecture / Built London: Brutalist Architecture in London

Built London: Brutalist Architecture in London

Oct 18, 2018 By John Rabon

Trellick Tower

Cold, geometrical, bland.  These are some of the words used to describe the aptly-named “Brutalist” style of architecture.  Brutalism had its heyday from the early 1950s through the mid-1970s and is largely associated with government buildings or government-sponsored projects.  In the United States, we can see examples of it in the FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C., Boston City Hall, and even the Walt Disney World Contemporary Resort.  While not being the most aesthetically pleasing architectural style in any country, it certainly left its mark on London in the 20th Century with many important buildings that stand today.

The term was first coined by Swedish architect Hans Asplund and comes from the French “brut” or “rough”.  Given its elements, it’s not hard to see why, as the style is typically characterized by modular sections, rough designs, and various geometric shapes.  Many of the buildings include exposed concrete blocks, though this isn’t necessarily a requirement for a Brutalist structure.  Architects showed nearly every bit of construction in the exterior with exposed features and wanted buildings that were beautiful in their practicality.  While many regard Brutalist buildings as ugly, they certainly have their own faithful devotees, even achieving listed status, and indeed have survived in several of London’s most notable structures.

Barbican

Perhaps some of the most obvious Brutalists structures are several housing estates throughout the city.  One of the oldest of these is Crescent House, which is part of the Golden Lion Estate, and was built in 1959 by the firm of Chamberlain, Powell, and Bon.  The style would take route in several notable estates in the 1960s, including the Weston Rise Estate, Balfron Tower, and Trellick Tower.  Grenfell Tower, the site of a terribly tragic fire in 2017, was built in the Brutalist Style.  The Rowley Way Estate is one of the more picturesque and has been used in films as recent as the Kingsman series.  Another excellent example can be found in The Barbican Estate, one of the city’s first mixed-use developments following the war.

And speaking of the Barbican, the entire area sports plenty of Brutalist buildings.  As they did for many other buildings in London, Chamberlain, Powell, and Bon left its Brutalist stamp all over the development.  In addition to the residential flats, Barbican Hall, Barbican Theatre, and Barbican Library are all separate structures that represent one of the only Brutalist mixed-use centers in the city.  Even the London School for Girls which is part of the estate includes Brutalist design techniques, and it’s not the only school that does, as evidenced by the Pimlico School and the Lecture Centre of Brunel University.  The National Theater and Southbank Centre is another entertainment venue in this architectural style.

Of course, Brutalism is certainly a popular style for government buildings in London as it is in many parts of the world.  The Camden Town Hall Extension, part of the structure that forms the home base for the Camden Borough Council, features the concrete, small windows, and exposed steel that are all hallmarks of the design.  While the extension is now being converted partly into a hotel, it is largely keeping the Brutalist elements while adding more floors to the top that complements the existing architectural style.  The Ministry of Justice building strongly mirrors the US’s own FBI headquarters from the windows to a similar color concrete finish.

Brutalism is a style that permeates all aspects of London life from residential to commercial to governmental.  They are raw structures, letting you know exactly what they are and what they do.  They’re not meant to be pretty, but yet have their own kind of unapologetic beauty and in the case of the estates, have been enhanced by their residents’ own aesthetics.  Of course, if you’re reading this hoping they get torn down one day, you shouldn’t hold your breath.  Many of the buildings have now achieved some level of protection, and most are now Grade II listed, so whether you like them or not, they’re most definitely here to stay.

John Rabon
Author: John Rabon

John is a regular writer for Anglotopia and its sister websites. He is currently engaged in finding a way to move books slightly to the left without the embarrassment of being walked in on by Eddie Izzard. For any comments, questions, or complaints, please contact the Lord Mayor of London, Boris Johnson's haircut.

close

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Share this:

  • Print
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Pocket

Filed Under: Architecture, Buildings

Subscribe to Our Free London Updates

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

About John Rabon

John is a regular writer for Anglotopia and its sister websites. He is currently engaged in finding a way to move books slightly to the left without the embarrassment of being walked in on by Eddie Izzard. For any comments, questions, or complaints, please contact the Lord Mayor of London, Boris Johnson's haircut.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Angela Talbot says

    Oct 18, 2018 at 6:46 pm

    I was disappointed in the article about the ‘Brutalist’ style of architecture as it sounds that it is an ugly style, which in a way it is. The difference being that it came about during a period of very important times, when in fact the whole of Britain was recovering from the war, so much had to be done, when the bombing had done so much killing and damage. Also the men to do the tasks weren’t there either.
    I went back to London just after the war, but remember it all vividly, the whole areas with the bombed places still showing signs of people’s homes with scraps of curtains hanging at broken windows, all being cleared for complete demolition, in order to build places for homes and businesses. Architects must have had little choice of design or materials, concrete must have been the easiest and cheapest. At least ‘plastic’ hadn’t come into use then.

  2. anglophreak says

    Oct 23, 2018 at 2:17 pm

    It looks almost Soviet in style.

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to Our Free London Updates

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Get the Anglotopia/Londontopia App

Our Advertisers

If you are a mobile gamer, you may want to take a look at UK’s new mobile casinos and slots reviewed by NewCasinoUK.

Join the London Forum

  • Mudlarking
  • MY FAVOURITE PLACE IN LONDON
  • What's Your Favorite Place in London?
  • Paddington Station

London Guide

  • Ten Cheap Things You Can Do in London on a Budget
  • Ten London Exhibitions to Look Forward to in 2023
  • London’s Non-Free Museums: Your Guide to London’s Museums That Charge Admission
  • Trip Planning: Top 10 Exhibitions To Plan Your 2018 Trips to London Around
  • London Guide: Our Favorite Restaurants in London – London Restaurant Recommendations for Americans – What’s Your Favorite?

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • RSS Feed
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Support Londontopia

Search our Extensive Archive

Top 10 London

  • Ten Unusual Exhibits to See in London
  • London Pubs: Ten Thameside Pubs for a Pint and a View
  • Top 10 London: Ten More Things to Do Along the River Thames
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Shopping Centers in London
  • Museums of London: Ten Overlooked London Museums
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Haggerston
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Haringey
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Redbridge
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Hillingdon
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to Do in Canonbury

Recent Posts

  • Artist Ai Weiwei to launch first design-focused exhibition at London’s Design Museum
  • London Travel Alert: Staff at British Museum to walk out during half-term break
  • Poet Lemn Sissay ‘over the moon’ to receive Freedom of the City of London
  • English Heritage has unveiled six new blue plaques for London
  • National Portrait Gallery to reopen in June with two special exhibitions
  • Exploring The Cosmic House in London
  • Ten Social Media Accounts to Follow for Londonphiles
  • New Royal Academy Exhibition: Treasures from Spain and the Hispanic World
  • Pollock’s Toy Museum in London Has Closed Unexpectedly
  • The Fiver:  Five Live-Action Children’s Shows Set in London

Best Posts on Londontopia

  • 101 London Travel Tips
  • Top 100 London Attractions
  • How to Find the Cheapest Airfares to London
  • 10 Things NOT to do in London
  • Best London Guidebooks
  • 101 Free Things to do in London
  • London Lingo – A London Word Dictionary
  • Top 7 Tips for Doing London on the Cheap
  • Top 11 Myths American Believe about London
  • Guide to Eating in London
  • Best Times of Year to Travel to London
  • London Packing Tips
  • Top 11 Movies Set in London
  • Top Attractions off the Tourist Track
  • Top 5 Most Amazing London Hotels
  • Top 10 Hostels in London
  • Best Views in London Restuarants
  • London Taxi Ettiquette
  • Top 12 London Views
  • Great Fire of London
  • A Guide to Five of London’s Bridges
  • 10 Random Facts and Figures about Trafalgar Square
  • Top 100 British Slang Words

London Places to Explore

Bloomsbury Buckingham Palace Canary Wharf City of London Covent Garden Cutty Sark Greenwich Hampstead Hampton Court Palace Heathrow Houses of Parliament Hyde Park Imperial War Museum Islington Kensington Kensington Palace Leicester Square London London Eye London Transport Museum Museum of London National Gallery Notting Hill Piccadilly Circus Putney Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Regent's Street Royal Academy Selfridges Somerset House Southbank Southwark St Pancras St Paul's Cathedral Tate Britain Tate Modern The City Tower Bridge Tower of London Trafalgar Square V&A Wandsworth West End Westminster Westminster Abbey

SIGN-UP FOR FREE LONDON WEEKLY UPDATES!

Please enter a valid email address
That address is already in use
The security code entered was incorrect
Thanks for signing up

Recent Videos

Walk Around London Virtually Right Now – Watched Walker is the YouTube Channel We All Need Right Now

Jason Hawkes Shares a Beautiful Video of London From Above That We All Need Right now

London Tube: You’ve Got to Watch This Amazing Mesmerizing Animation That Shows the Real Geography of the London Underground

Video: The Basics of Crossrail – London’s New Underground Line

London History: The Place Where Old London Double Decker Buses Went to Die

London Video: A Look at the Great Smog of London

Tube and London bus fares to rise by nearly 6% from March

What is Crossrail 2 and What is Its Current Status?

London Alert: Strike by London Underground workers to go ahead after last-minute talks fail

London Mayor hails Elizabeth line as direct routes and Sunday services begin

Elizabeth line fully opens and offers more direct journeys

Tube poet encourages writers to ‘bring who they are to the field’

Footer

About Londontopia

Londontopia is simply the website for people who love London. It was founded by Jonathan & Jackie Thomas from Anglotopia.net as a place to post articles solely focused on London and its environs. Keep up with all the latest London news at Londontopia! This site is geared towards people who love to visit London and our primary audience is North American but everyone is welcome!

When We’re in London Next

We don’t currently have any travel plans to London but hope to visit at some point in 2021.

  • SEO Backlinks
  • Travel Blog

SIGN-UP FOR FREE LONDON WEEKLY UPDATES!

Please enter a valid email address
That address is already in use
The security code entered was incorrect
Thanks for signing up

Copyright © 2023 Anglotopia, LLC · Website Developed by Anglotopia, LLC · Log in