Brutalism: Architectural Movement, or Steamroller of Souls?
It might look majestic on a monument to Stalin but it makes a trip to a government agency a real bummer
Some of you like Brutalism. Maybe you’re struggling with misplaced Cold War nostalgia or suffering from a misguided admiration for the naked hostility of thickly-poured concrete walls—the kind of walls that can crush human souls without collapsing. Maybe for you, the term “Brutalism” conjures images of Soviet-era super structures celebrating the triumph of reason over emotion.
Note: I suspect one’s admiration for Brutalism is inversely proportional to the amount of actual time one has spent in or around Brutalist structures.
Anyway, this isn’t a critical treatise on Brutalism. It’s been done, and by people far more qualified (or at least more humorous) than I.
I’m just here to tell you about my morning in Brutalism.
October 28, 2019
My son has a disability. As such, we’re often required to visit governmental agencies to secure support and educational services for him. These agencies are rarely housed in warm, humane edifices that inspire, if not joy, then at least comfort and security. But none have been as soul-crushing as the Brutalist…
