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The Brutalists: Brutalism’s Best Architects

A new title from Phaidon explores the icons of Brutalism and what makes it one of the most polarizing yet celebrated architectural styles

By Joseph Cicerone

In a city like Toronto, evidence of the 20th century’s Brutalist boom are apparent in landmarks like the Sheraton Centre and City Hall. Today, this striking, and often polarizing, architectural movement remains a part of the city’s DNA amidst the rise of modern glass buildings and sleek condo towers. In a tribute to this crude and enduring design style, architectural writer Owen Hopkins explores the dualities of the Brutalist phenomenon in The Brutalists: Brutalism’s Best Architects. Bridging the local and global, this new title from Phaidon documents the movement through more than 200 iconic buildings from around the world.

The Brutalists
Alejandro Aravena. Innovation Centre, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile Santiago, Chile, 2014. Picture credit: Leonardo Finotti.

Uniquely, the book shares information about the people behind the work as well as their careers and cultural influences. In Chile, the Pontifical Catholic University by Alejandro Aravena; in Japan, Takamitsu Azuma’s Tower House; and in Canada, U of T Scarborough’s Andrews Building by architect John Andrews—who later designed the CN Tower.

Through archival images and engaging texts, The Brutalists highlights international icons alongside lesser known figures in architecture who, for too long, have been neglected. PHAIDON.COM


Categories: Arts & Culture

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