brutalism

Architectural style of the 1950s and 1960s that evolved from the work of Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe. It is uncompromising in its approach, believing that practicality and user-friendliness should be the first and foremost aims of architectural design. Materials such as steel and concrete are favoured.

The term was first used by Alison and Peter Smithson who developed the style in the UK. The Smithsons' design for Hunstanton School, Norfolk (1949-54) recalls the work of Mies van der Rohe but is more brutally honest, exposing all the services (such as pipes and ducts) to view rather than hiding them in the traditional manner. The Park Hill Housing Estate, Sheffield (1961), by Jack Lynn and Ivor Smith, makes use of the rough concrete (béton brut) characteristic of Le Corbusier's later work.