Brutalist London Map

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The original London premises of The Economist magazine were bombed during World War II and so the publishers took the opportunity to consolidate their various remaining offices into one single location. The Economist remained in the property until 2017 when it relocated to another place near The Strand. The complex was acquired by a new developer and is currently being renovated. The wife and husband architect team of Alison and Peter Smithson were considered pioneers of the British brutalism movement that took off during the second half of the twentieth century and the complex is now named after them.

Another prime example of the grand public sector architecture that dominates London’s Brutalist scene, the structure is built around the concept of making theatre accessible to the masses. As such the large Olivier Theatre seats 1,160 people, alongside two smaller theatres that also seat significant numbers. Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in. Hampstead isn’t all rolling heaths and quaint, cottage feels. It’s also home to a brutalist building with quite an origin story… One of the best places for immersing yourself in Brutalism in London (or just to get a good photo), Camden’s Alexandra Road Estate was built in 1978 by Neave Brown as an ambitious, idealistic social housing project at a time when council housing was often at the centre of experimental, avant-garde architecture. Listed as Grade II* in 1994, it’s a uniquely atmospheric place to visit today, with two public walkways adorned in greenery and a central park.The rest of the Southbank Centre, of course, is one big concrete playground; from the hodgepodge of sprouting mushroom columns and jumbled geometries of the Hayward Gallery, to the graffiti-slathered ramps and columns of the undercroft skatepark, this place is brutalism 101 for any Londoner. The best thing is, you can explore from top to bottom, inside and out. Splurge in a brutalist shopping centre A shopping centre that you also want to live in. Image: Londonist Brutalism's most famous stylistic motif was the use of raw concrete (French "béton brut") for exterior surfaces, leaving evidence of the construction process, such as the holes and seamlines left by the setting of liquid concrete, visible on the outsides of buildings. For Brutalist architects this approach showed a truth to the textural qualities of materials, and to the labor of construction, that epitomized their socially engaged, ethics-driven approach to their work. Daily updates on the latest design and architecture vacancies advertised on Dezeen Jobs. Plus occasional news. Dezeen Jobs Weekly Although partly a symptom of the map’s aesthetics, it is also characteristic of an approach to cities and their histories that centres on landmark ‘poster’ buildings. As parts of the city that have been singled out or separated, they become carriers of symbolic value, entries into a particular architectural canon that becomes somehow superior to the surrounding urban fabric. To better understand cities we must question this relationship, approaching the built environment as something continuous. Perhaps the answer is suggested by the map itself: a walking tour. After all, the act of walking connects these monuments, creating a new social space that would otherwise disappear with a piecemeal approach. Whether it be Brutalist housing estates or well-known public buildings, walking is not only useful for exploration, it also gives us a new sense of these spaces, challenges preconceptions, allows us to contextualise or even transgress. In a city fortunate enough to include successes such as the National Theatre and the Barbican, and progressive projects such as the Alexandra Road Estate, Brutalist London reminds us to view the escalating trend towards privately owned public spaces with a new criticality. Our London Underground Architecture & Design Map was named a 2018 book of the year by The Financial Times, and press for these maps has included features in the New York Times Magazine, Dezeen, Creative Review, Wallpaper, Londonist, The Atlantic, Time Out and elsewhere.

Brutalist LondonMap is the result of a collaboration between the Twentieth Century Society and independent map publisher Blue Crow Media. The pair are due to release an Art Deco London Map in March 2016. By doing away with, to some extent, the Brutalist’s straight edges and hard lines, One Kemble Street makes itself into a fine example of the brash, brutalist architecture of the 60s – one that shows little care for the buildings around it but stakes a big claim to its landscape. The term ‘ Brutalism’ was first coined by the British architects Alison and Peter Smithson, and was then popularised by the architectural historian Reyner Banham in 1954. It is deriveed from ‘Béton brut’ (meaning raw concrete) and was first associated in architecture with Le Corbusier, who designed the Cite Radieuse in Marseilles in the late-1940s.Ultimately, the design that had at first seemed to clash with the neighborhood's brownstone tenement feel became celebrated for "its distinctive profile and idiosyncratic features," as art critic Stephen Wallis noted. What’s more, as mentioned above, Art Deco and pre-war modernism also made it onto our radar for the first time but adding examples of both genres into this post would create architecture-overload. Instead, I have put together a separate post featuring a collection of London’s best Art Deco and early modernist architecture. How many times have you walked past this Grade ll listed London landmark and never given it a second thought? Originally the London headquarters of the French bank, Crédit Lyonnais, which was acquired by Crédit Agricole in 2003. The building was revamped by Delvendahl Martin Architects between March 2015 and September 2016.

Designed by Richard Seifert and completed in 1966 it was described by the Royal Fine Art Commision as having an ‘elegance worthy of a Wren steeple’. Note how the gentle v-shaped window mullions soften and add interest to this slender, Massive period tour de force. The cylindrical structure was once home to the CAA or Civil Aviation Authority and became Grade II listed in 2015. Minories was a former civil parish during medieval times. The name is derived from the late 13th century Abbey of the Minoresses of St. Clare without Aldgate, a monastery for Franciscan nuns living an enclosed (separate from the outside world) existence. The Alexandra Road Estate winds alongside Camden’s railway line, a swooping swish of striking architecture and intricate design that reflects Brutalism’s utopian vision.Take the stairs upstairs from the station to the gantry that goes directly onto the estate, mooch around and then finish at the Barbican Centre station, which has brutalist style symmetrical ponds and a great place to get a drink or catch a show. You will also notice I have said whether the building is question is listed or not. In brief, if a structure is listed in Britain it means it is protected by Historic England (officially the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England), a non-departmental government body tasked with protecting ancient monuments as well as historic buildings, memorials, parks and gardens etc. There is, of course, a process to go through but once something is listed, it cannot be demolished, extended or tampered with without permission from the relevant authority. In the first instance, this is normally the local council but if a building is of significant historic interest any request will be sent up the ladder to the relevant central government agency. There are three grades; I, II* and II, with Grade I being the most important. As a general rule, buildings have to be more than 30 years old to be listed so, as time goes by, more brutalist and post-war modern buildings are being given either grade II*, or more commonly grade II status.

The swish Paramount restaurant and bar occupies the top floors and has outstanding views of London. There is also a free viewing gallery. Phone up beforehand (0207 4202900) to let them know that you’re coming. Yes, there are brutalist tours of London (including the Barbican's mentioned above). But why not also buy your own brutalist London map, so you can conduct your own tours whenever the mood strikes. Which is, presumably, 24/7.

It’s been allowed to decay a little over the years but one pro of building with concrete is that it’s not decayed much. In 2022 Seaforth Land was contracted to repair and refurbish the structure which is expected to be made into fancy offices, and possibly a retail centre. After the destruction of so many buildings during WW2, there was a great need for new social housing which made the techniques used in brutalist architecture very popular in the 60s and 70s. Based on the philosophy of form following function and celebrating the materials used in construction. It is identified by extensive use of exposed, unfinished concrete and often features bold geometric forms with an abstract sculptural quality. This sprawling (and remarkably easy to get lost in) late Brutalist development houses the wonderful Barbican centre, the largest performing arts centre in Europe and home of the London Symphony Orchestra. The accompanying Barbican Estate gives you the impression of being in a Brutalist theme park. Though voted ‘the ugliest building in London’ in 2003 by some dullards, the tranquil waterside setting, complete with fountains and swaying reeds, renders it positively romantic. The soaring towers and vast concrete volumes are also nicely contrasted by the warmly-coloured tiled paving.