Louis Byrne LB255029 OUIL501 Critical Analysis – 3300 words Brutalist Housing was “a disastrous attempt to remake cities in the light of fanciful ideals”, discuss. In Britain, Tower Blocks are an indelible part of the contemporary urban landscape; monolithic concrete pillars envisioned as monuments to progress, built after the Second World War as an optimistic alternative to the inner-city slums destroyed by the Luftwaffe; providing affordable, standardised housing for the urban poor. However, despite their idealised origins, the blocks are now seen by many as being emblematic of social degradation; crime and urban decay. This contradiction plays to the dual definitions of Utopia; these being, an ideally perfect place or state; or, an impractical scheme for social improvement [ Oxford Dictionaries. 2017. .] However, the two definitions do not necessarily have to be considered mutually exclusive, one does not negate the other, as an ideally perfect place is in itself impossible and therefore any attempt at social improvement based on these principles is destined to fail. In this essay, it will be assessed as to how rigidity in the face of social change, disregard for essential human needs and the overlooked preservation of existing societal hierarchies all contributed to Brutalist Housing falling short of its initial goals. It will also be examined as to the extent that Brutalist housing did not succeed and whether it truly was “a disastrous attempt to remake cities in the light of fanciful ideals”[, John R. Gold, 1998]. As a school of thought, Modernism was born from the intense period of social upheaval that comprised the late 19th and early 20th centuries; the mechanization of the industrial revolution kick-starting the movement, bringing with it means of easy fabrication and mass production that diminished the value of the artisan craftsman and allowed for greater democratisation within design. At its core, Modernism embodies a total rejection of established social orders and traditional methods of operating, demonstrating a fundamental disregard for entrenched hierarchies and a rational approach to design [Nevermind Design.. 2017 ]. When applied to architecture, these principals can be clearly seen in the buildings and plans of the emminent, French-Swiss architect Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, more commonly known as Le Corbusier. By the start of the 1920s, Le Corbusier had begun to refine his exploration of concrete and had started to propose it's use in the construction of intrepid new designs that cast off the pre-supposed notions of construction ; wit these designs being typified by their rejection of ostentatious adornment in favour of rational, functional minimalism. Le Corbusier sought to use the easily replicated nature of pre-formed concrete to create structures that were free from presuppositions of wealth and class and that followed the principle of function before form; he promoted the development of high rises with flat roofs in an effort to conserve available space, and buildings structured around central columns, so as to allow for the most efficient configuration of their internal spaces. In the opinion of Le Corbusier, these constructive innovations would come together to support what he referred to as “Architecture or Revolution”; through which Le Corbusier supposed that, without the radical restructuring of the urban environment, class-based revolution was
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