Brutalist Architecture [1200x1087 - 152KB]

[–] • 2 pts

People only complain about brutalist architecture from the perspective of living today in a rich society.

First, brutalism really doesn't even exist. It is merely the sideffect of the availability of mass construction techniques of the period.

We build the same way today, except the suburbs all look the same with cookie cutter gyproc construction and cities all look the same with those 4 story gyproc condos + wall to ceiling windows for walls 40 story condos.

Brutalism was a blip in the west but in communist bloc countries it was merely a sideffect of the need to house a huge amounts of peasent / farmer class people leaving the farms and moving to cities ALL AT ONCE in search of better pay and better living conditions. The central planners in those times did not have any options for building quickly and building cheaply except for mass concrete based construction that in a lot of cases wasn't even poured in place but created as concrete blocks in factories, shipped to site and glued into place.

When you watch videos of Russian brutalist architecture today, what makes it depressing isn't that it is brutalist. What makes it depressing is tragedy of the commons. Jews and their communism are mostly to blame, but honestly, the fucking retarded children of the peasant class that left their beautiful farms to rot and live in cities hold a lot of the blame as well.

What most of the complaints about brutalist architecture is all about is that the people living there don't maintain the buildings on the inside, the outside nor is there any investment in the surrounding areas.

It's not like the ornate architecture of Paris is faring any better. Just take a google street maps tour of the 5 story tall seemingly ornate Paris blocs and look at how run down and fucked up all of those areas are.

I really love whatever it is that people call brutalist. If the building is maintained, then you can use the sharp concrete building as a point of contrast because it DOESN'T FIGHT FOR YOUR ATTENTION. For example:

Create comfortable areas inside and outside using modern furniture and fixtures that can now be ornate and beautiful. You can can use any style of fixture and furniture that you want against a brutalist building and it won't clash.
Use of colour as accent points or even claim an entire area for colour. Again, grey brutalist concrete is neutral.
Use of texture can be amazing to. The brutalist building colour and texture is a neutral middle ground and completely stable. You can put up a textured wall against brutalist architecture and really make walls interesting without making them permanent or damaging the building so when you get bored you can tear down the textured walls and put new ones up.
External areas are not dependent on the building making it nice but the landscaping + understanding use of space.

As always, the complaints about brutalism come from the same people that complain about everything else: they want what they want without having to either pay for it or put in any effort to build it them selves.

People only complain about brutalist architecture from the perspective of living today in a rich society. First, brutalism really doesn't even exist. It is merely the sideffect of the availability of mass construction techniques of the period. We build the same way today, except the suburbs all look the same with cookie cutter gyproc construction and cities all look the same with those 4 story gyproc condos + wall to ceiling windows for walls 40 story condos. Brutalism was a blip in the west but in communist bloc countries it was merely a sideffect of the need to house a huge amounts of peasent / farmer class people leaving the farms and moving to cities ALL AT ONCE in search of better pay and better living conditions. The central planners in those times did not have any options for building quickly and building cheaply except for mass concrete based construction that in a lot of cases wasn't even poured in place but created as concrete blocks in factories, shipped to site and glued into place. When you watch videos of Russian brutalist architecture today, what makes it depressing isn't that it is brutalist. What makes it depressing is tragedy of the commons. Jews and their communism are mostly to blame, but honestly, the fucking retarded children of the peasant class that left their beautiful farms to rot and live in cities hold a lot of the blame as well. What most of the complaints about brutalist architecture is all about is that the people living there don't maintain the buildings on the inside, the outside nor is there any investment in the surrounding areas. It's not like the ornate architecture of Paris is faring any better. Just take a google street maps tour of the 5 story tall seemingly ornate Paris blocs and look at how run down and fucked up all of those areas are. I really love whatever it is that people call brutalist. If the building is maintained, then you can use the sharp concrete building as a point of contrast because it DOESN'T FIGHT FOR YOUR ATTENTION. For example: * Create comfortable areas inside and outside using modern furniture and fixtures that can now be ornate and beautiful. You can can use any style of fixture and furniture that you want against a brutalist building and it won't clash. * Use of colour as accent points or even claim an entire area for colour. Again, grey brutalist concrete is neutral. * Use of texture can be amazing to. The brutalist building colour and texture is a neutral middle ground and completely stable. You can put up a textured wall against brutalist architecture and really make walls interesting without making them permanent or damaging the building so when you get bored you can tear down the textured walls and put new ones up. * External areas are not dependent on the building making it nice but the landscaping + understanding use of space. As always, the complaints about brutalism come from the same people that complain about everything else: they want what they want without having to either pay for it or put in any effort to build it them selves.