Brutalism and how it relates to principles of design MEGAN WHITE
Prologue This book will demonstrate an introduction of the foundational principles of architectural design. With modeled visuals and works produced by the author, as well as an accompaniment of precedented work, each principle is represented as its defining-characteristics. Brutalism, an era and style of architecture, will also be referenced to further illustrate these principles, their relationship to each other, and their real-life applications. Separated into three main sections, we will dive into an introduction of brutalism, the core foundational principles (in their most abstract form) and ways we may use these principles to idealize our designs.
Contents Introduction to Brutalism Context...........................4 Tropes............................6
Foundational Principles
Mass..............................8 Surface..........................10 Material.........................12 Planes...........................14 Grid..............................16 Shape............................18 Solid + Void....................20 Light.............................22 Shadow..........................24 Color + Lack thereof.........26 Symmetry.......................28
Idealization
Part-to-whole.................30 Datum...........................32 Hierarchy.......................34 Defamiliarization............36 Decomposition................38 The Corner Problem.........40 Structure.......................42
Introduction to Brutalism
Context Context is the supplemental information of a work or an era that can explain the choices of its design. Brutalism emerged in the 1950's, famously with Le Corbusier but with others as well. It was increasingly popular in both western and eastern Europe. In a postwar era, resources were scarce and economies were suffering. Brutalist architecture needed to be minimalistic in order to satisfy both structural needs and tight financial restrictions.
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Tropes An architectural trope is a physical representation of another theme, idea, or metaphor. In brutalist architecture, tropes were limited to the era's context. In many socialist and communist countries, political tropes can be analyzed from their brutalist architecture. For example, themes of strength, power, uniformity, and simplicity can be repeatedly pulled from brutalist design.
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Foundational Principles
Mass Mass defines a structure to be just that, massive; heavy, dense, bulky, and solid. Mass is typically found where the design and the material of a building create a force that demands to be felt as inherently thick, or in a way suffocating. Even when a material does not feel fundamentally heavy or thick, it can still make the structure as a whole feel massive in the case that it completely wraps the exterior.
The Cottobus Library at BIU, though wrapped in an inherently light material, glass, still feels massive. Why? It's relational to other principles of design. With its amoebic shape, there is a centripetal force demonstrating a pull inwards, specifically towards its center. A common characteristic of mass is that its felt consistently throughout all 3-dimensional planes of space, even at the building core.
The modeled sculpture photographed on the left has a mass. The volume is completely uninterrupted throughout its entire body. In addition, we know that clay is often dense and somewhat difficult to form. From all of these factors there is a strong force of solidity. Modeling Clay Sculpture Illustrating "Stretch"
By Author
Brandenburg University of Technology (BTU) Cottobus Library, 1998-2005. Architects: Herzog & de Meuron.
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Surface Surface can encompass many things like texture, movement, and shape. It acts as the façade to the world. In brutalism, surfaces are typically smooth or appear smooth, with little texture or blemishes. There are usually little variations in surface materials and movements. Variety in shape isn't uncommon, but there is also a collectiveness that relates them all together, so as to create order within the chaos.
Modeling Clay Sculpture Illustrating "Rotate + Split""
By Author
Casa Saldarini (a.k.a. casa dinosauro), 1960-1965. Architect: Vittorio giorgini
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Material Material is as direct as it sounds. It's the literal resources used for the structure and aesthetics of any given architectural site. Material can influence the mood and experience one has surrounding a site. In brutalism, the most common material used is concrete. Though this sometimes varies, the overall impression that material conveys in brutalism is hardness, toughness, and simplicity.
Modeling Clay Sculpture illustrating "pinch + compress"'
By Author
Bus stop of the soviet era in echmiadzin, Armenia
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Dubiner House, 1961-1963. Architect: Zvi Hecker
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Planes Planes can relate to many other principles. Planes change the meaning of surface, space, datum, hierarchy, and more. They can direct the eye and restrict it. Planes, much like lines, show us where our boundaries are, and can even suggest circulation. In brutalism, planes are typically large, thick, and long. Differences in planes used within one architectural piece is also rare, though not unheard of.
Wooden dowel sculpture with paper "planes"
By Author
Parish Church, Austria, 1966-1969. By Gunther Domenig
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Lycee Sainte Marie, 1976. by Georges Adilon
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Grid A grid is a systematic grouping of lines and planes, altogether forming a variety of different sized squares/geometries between their points of intersection. Grid is commonly seen in brutalist architecture.
Wooden dowel sculpture Illustrating "grid"
By Author
"National library of kosovo, 1971-1982. By andrija Mutnjakovic
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Shape Shape refers to the variety of 2-dimensional shapes that can be drawn from any given piece of architecture. It reflects familiarity, structure, and simplicity. Brutalist architecture often incorporates square and rectangular shapes. This is largely due to its simple nature and ability to seem massive and strong.
Digital drawing using a triadic color palette
By Author
wotruba church, 1974-1976. by fritz gerhard mayr
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Johannees xxIII church, 1968. by heinz buchmann
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Solid + Void Solid and void refers to the negative and positive 3dimensional space. It places with light and shadow, as well as space and circulation.
Paper sculpture Interior with "voids" to the exterior
By Author
cemetery extension, 1970s. busto arsizio, italy. by luigi ciappare;;a
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Light Light has the ability to interact with architecture to create different shapes/geometries, space, hierarchies, and more. How light hits a site can be an art within itself. In addition, how the site takes natural light in is an important factor to consider when designing. In brutalism, light is often used as a tool to increase harshness and sharpness. There is also not normally many opportunities for light to enter in, as its surfaces are heavily enclosed and do not allow for holes/windows.
Charcoal drawing of paper sculpture illustrating "light"
By Author
leumi bank 1969. by gershon zippor
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Lyceee sainte marie, 1976. By georges adilon
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Shadow In comparison to light, shadow can be used to create different geometries, spaces, and hierarchies. However, shadow hides other elements away as opposed to highlighting them. In brutalist architecture, shadow is also used to create a certain hardness and sharpness, especially when juxtaposed with light.
Wooden dowel sculpture Illustrating "Shadow"
By Author
Karaburma housing tower, 1963. by rista sekerinski. Belgrade, serbia
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Color + Lack Thereof Color can influence the overall mood of an art piece. The value, hue, tint, shade and palette can all factor into the feeling of its experience. In brutalist architecture, color is often not used. The lack of color is representative of brutalism's context. In this case, color can be distracting or incite unprecedented emotion. In regions where brutalism congregated, society was better kept plain and unprovoked. The most likely color to have been utilized is red, as it was used as a symbol of power and strength.
Digital Drawing with an analogous Color Palette
By Author
"Slovak national archive, 1983. By Vladimir Dedecek
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Rusty nail viewing platform, 2008. by stefan giers
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Symmetry Symmetry is an order of perfected reflection. It can be used to highlight simplicity or complexity. It can also be used symbolically. If symmetry was used in brutalist architecture (as it occasionally was), it could represent a "doubled" force. This "doubled" force illustrates supreme strength. structure, and stability.
Paper sculpture Illustrating "Symmetry"
By Author
Nuovo Corviale Housing, 1984. by maria fiorentino
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Saint Exupery Airport 1994. by santiago calatrava
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Idealization
Part to Whole Part to whole can be conveyed through a collection of repeated or differing objects. It's about a sense of uniformity, which can be acquired through many means. The implication of elements touching or signaling to each other a 'connection,' as demonstrated on page 4, encapsulates the abstract nature of part to whole. The core of the model is empty, volumeless, and there are even negative spaces between some objects. How can this illustrate one mass? It's the uniformity, centrality, and wholeness; the interconnection and dependency on each other to complete a series. Separate and independent objects assimilate, adding each of their unique masses and densities to each other. As parts become one whole, they are reconfigured to represent a new shape, a new function, and a new metaphor. In Homebase, on the left, below, similar objects of the same material are interconnected through the physical contact of their facades. In addition, they are also connected through the base of the model, which has physical access to all elements. Though each object may be used to represent individual apparatuses with different functions and contexts, the piece as a whole illustrates one greater mass.
Abstract collection of items illustrating 'mass'
By Author
"homebase" and "packing paper houses" by Kim Bartelt at the Wilhelm Hallen, Berlin-Reinickendorf, 2021
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Datum A datum in architecture is a spot or area of emphasis. Other architectural features will 'point' or lead you to this datum. Datums can be contextual, functional, structural, or surrounding aesthetics. Below, the two datums relate to light and how its engineered inside these spaces.
Paper sculpture Illustrating "Datum"
By Author
Cattedrale di cristo re, 1956. By adalberto Libera
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Ark Nishina Dental Clinic, 1983. By shin takamatsu
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Hierarchy Hierarchy demonstrates a literal or figurative order of emphasis or importance. It illustrates what is most important, which could be functional or not. Hierarchy can also refer to program or the physical representation of separate-use spaces. Hierarchy often interacts with multiple other principles of design, including planes, datums, and surfaces.
Collection of Abstract objects Illustrating "hierarchy"
By Author
"Zgrada Lamela, 1976. By slobodan Jovandic
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Memorial ossuary of the fallen fighters by mulickovski
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Defamiliarization Defamiliarization is about challenging the brain and the eye to analyze design in an unconventional or sometimes opposite way. It proposes rhetorical questions for how principles should be used and how they interact with each other to satisfy normal architectural conditions. Surprisingly, even some brutalist architecture is successful at incorporating an unfamiliar representation of sites that are normally thought of in a more conventional way.
Defamiliarization of Sesc Pompeia, Brazil
By Author
Autobahn church siegerland, 2009. By Schneider+Schumacher Heiligkreuzkirche 1969. By walter forderer
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Decomposition Decomposition, and more importantly, recomposition, also forces us to reinvent architecture from its most foundational pieces and seams. We can take these core elements and transform, shift, and rotate them to oppose typical architectural style (and conventions). Again, there is even some brutalist architecture utilizing this technique.
Recomposition of SESC Pompeia, Brazil
By Author
Bierpinsel, 1976. By Ralf Schuler and Ursuina Schuler-Witte. Berlin, Germany
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The Corner Problem The corner problem occurs after an architect has designed all facades and crevices, but must figure how the corners of these will meet. In a simple cube, this problem does not exist. However, it becomes increasingly difficult as surfaces and planes are added, subtracted, and shifted, as well as how they differ between two sides. The corner problem rarely involves one solution, its often a puzzle with many possible outcomes. The subjective question is, which one looks and serves the best?
wooden dowel structure
By Author
Place des sciences, 1975. Belgium.
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Convent Sainte Marie de La tourette, 1960. Le corbusier
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Structure The structure of a site refers to its literal integrity and soundness, as well as its representation (or lack thereof) of structure artistically. Structural integrity is vital for any building's survival, however, in brutalism, structure can be overemphasized or represented. Again, the value of appearing strong, forceful, and firm, is sought for.
wooden dowel structure
By Author
Indemmann platform, 2009. Maureer United architects
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Shime coal mine winding tower, 1943. Shime, Japan
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Citations
All images of precedent brutalist work are from Stefano Perego's instagram (@stepegphotography).
