Mod-Architecture: 2011

Here I'll define brutalism as the exposure of concrete / ductwork in a way that makes the object have a brutal appearance. Be your own boss! The word means whatever you think it means. The word itself is an impression in the eye of the beholder...
Brutalism is monumental yet hard-edged and sharp, giving it some power of intimidation. Whereas steel structures tend to be spare and graceful, brutalist buildings are typically made of concrete.

A popular local example is Moos Tower (I didn't modify this picture; props to the artist.)

It is easy to see this building is about to crush us all. That is what brutalism is all about. Crushing!!

Below is an adjacent complex @ Munich. All stone.

Sometimes brutalism merges (by necessity) with other blog topics such as airpots, churches, even -- ahem, -- all-time architecture classics. Like the Salk Institute at La Jolla, CA, by Louis Kahn.

It's monumental and killer, skirting grace, without actually leaving monumental behind.

Sometimes airports make you think brutalism...

Paris - Charles du Gaulle

Amsterdam Schiphol

Philadelphia

Anchorage, AK Tower.

Some more brutalist sightings in Minnesota:

The Minnesota Zoo is a big fan of concrete, particularly the early-1980s monkey exhibits.

In the University of MN district, there are a number of brutalist buildings, some on the graceful side.

Rarig Center, at the University of Minnesota

Williamson Hall, also at the U, employs green topped, sub-terranian structure!

Cedar-Riverside Towers is quite the eye-catcher beside a major highway. On the upside, it is a Brutalist landmark with LRT access on-site!

Peavey Plaza in downtown Minneapolis, MN has a brutalist FOUNTAIN / SCULPTURE GARDEN..... who ever heard of this shit?!

...... CLASSIC BRUTALISM ........

This is the Key Bridge Mariott in Rosslyn, VA.

Below is probably the prettiest building possible to include on this topic, the Saint Marie de le Tourette monastary, by Le Corbusier!

Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington.....

(More to Come: Rapson Dinkytown library, Girard Ave house, Snelling Ave church, O'Shaughnessy Auditorium in St. Paul? Damn we have a lot of everything in MSP.

Some other vaguely threatening brutalism from around the USA...

And this Hawaiian walkway.

The Buckner Building in Whitter, AK... it's brutal in some ways anyhow.

Breck Chapel vs brutalism? This architect (Cunningham) build some similar buildings in 1982 era.

Here is a shitty Communist apartment block I lived in in Rosslyn, VA. Totally original (AKA 1950s falling apart). Considering the wealth of that zip code, it's probably demolished / co-opped by now.

The Washington, DC metro stations are, of course, icons of brutalism under designer Harry Weese.

This Russian-influenced monolith at Al Fujairah, UAE just crushes with monumentality!!

As does this arch...

Ryugong hotel in North Korea: Nooooo it hurts

This is a roads ministry in Tblisi, Georgia

Town Hall at Yalta

Scary ministry building in Kalinigrad, Russia

The above few pictures are from this blog. Other photos on this post are mostly mine.

Airports (at least in the USA) were synonymous with mid-century modernism. Obviously there are the true landmarkets (TWA Terminal at JFK... the Saarinen Dulles terminal...)

I can't tell you how much marlene heck said she loves the Saarinen Dulles terminal. It is indeed something special (Eero Saarinen, 1962)

Below, this is the immortal TWA terminal at JFK (Saarinen, 1961)

Laguardia also has its Central Terminal Building (CTB) dedicated in 1964.

The American Airlines hangar and the 1957 control tower, which resembles a nuke cooling tower. Stylish!

This terminal still stands (for now) as the Delta terminal at JFK. It was originally Pan Am's terminal.

Up in Alaska, Anchorage is primarily a cargo airport:

Rapid City SD

San Luis Obispo, California. Some charming adobe stuff going on here, but more restrained than what you see at Santa Barbara (below)

Honolulu ........... garden-filled airport (need better picture):

West Maui regional airport: flights to Kahului to avoid the volcano-rim drive.

Minneapolis St Paul (MSP) has some interesting hexagonal area lights:

Sculpture garden at Reagan:

I have no idea what is going on with this somewhat cloying, but still pretty cool, public artwork. Who got the contract, why, etc.

The interior there is kind of gothic? But still with this simple metal surfacing. This part (Terminals B and C) was designed by Cesar Pelli, completed 1997. It does kind of remind of 1990s government buildings, but in the best possible way.