Why We Love/Hate Brutalist Architecture

Ashley Gardini at JSTOR Daily:

Brutalist architecture. You either love it or hate it, right? However you feel, we can all agree that Brutalism is an architectural style that continues to elicit strong reactions some seventy years into its existence. At times, it seems like everyone hates it. Take, for instance, Ian Fleming, who named one of the James Bond villains Goldfinger after Ernő Goldfinger, the architect best known for London’s Brutalist Trellick Tower. Or how about the incredible difficulties faced by preservationists when it comes to saving important Brutalist structures? Neither Paul Rudolph’s Orange County Government Center nor Alison and Peter Smithson’s Robin Hood Gardens, both Brutalist icons, were preserved successfully. On the other hand, Brutalism has entered our everyday lexicon. From books to fashion to household decor, you can buy a Brutalist version for yourself. It seems that the influence of Brutalism is here to stay.

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