Art Brut – Brutalist architecture

Bold, brash and right in your face, are a few of the terms that come to mind when brutalist architecture is mentioned to me. The finest example being the Barbican estate along with the National Theatre. Those fine example to London’s architecture that you are unlikely to forget once seen.

Brutalism’s etymology actually lies in the French béton-brut – literally meaning “raw concrete” which is the prime characteristic of this architectural movement.

Banham gave the French word a twist to express the general horror with which this concrete architecture was greeted in Britain. Typical examples of brutalism are the Hayward Gallery and National Theatre on London’s South Bank.