So Brutal!

Brutalism is the architectural style of the 1950s and 60s characterized by large, sometimes menacing, primarily unadorned geometric forms. The term was coined by British architectural historian Reyner Banham and the name borrows inspiration from Le Corbusier’s frequent use of “beton brut” or raw concrete (the Brutalist material of choice), and the realness of Art Brut. Brutalism is an ethos as much as an aesthetic, it is high modern without any slick frosting, a socialist-leaning, utopian vision of future – think visible underpinnings, simplicity in form, and emphasis on structure and practicality. The Met Breuer is very elevated, expressive Brutalism, the non-design of the website Craigslist is everyday Brutalism. Something about the look of this movement, no matter how weird and ominous its most famous buildings are, has been enjoying quite a trendy resurgence in recent years. Designers have called upon this pared-down straightforwardness to create goods for home that forgo bells and whistles, letting an in-your-face purity shine. While windowless, blocky old shopping centers aren’t so appealing anymore, we can definitely get behind functional rawness with a certain heft and accessible simplicity.