They say that trends are circular and the old becomes the new. This is fashion for music and art. In the case of architecture, there’s no style that exemplifies the principle better than brutalism. By the mid-20th century, this style rose up in popularity before reaching its peak during the mid-1970s, when it came spiralling down as a model of bad architecture. But this is all changing now with a renewed interest and appreciation for this architectural style.

Known for its use of functional and reinforced concrete and steel. The modular elements and utilitarian feel, Brutalist architecture was mainly used for institutional buildings. Imposing, monolithic and geometric. Brutalist buildings have an aesthetic that is part of what makes them so appealing today. The word Brutalism doesn’t come from the architecture’s fortress-like stature, but from the natural & raw concrete its often made of—béton brut. 

Affiliated with schools, churches, theaters, and progressive social housing projects, Brutalism is often interweaved with 20th-century urban theory that looked toward socialist ideals. With the need for mass construction after World War II. Brutalism took hold around the world, but particularly in the UK and Eastern European and Communist countries, where it was occasionally used to create a new national socialist architecture.