Movement

Brutalism

1950–1975
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A postwar movement (c.1950s–1970s) of raw exposed concrete (béton brut), massive sculptural form and honest structure; named by Reyner Banham after Alison and Peter Smithson's 'New Brutalism' and proto-typed by Le Corbusier's Unité d'Habitation.

Production Power

Details

Origin
United Kingdom

Classifications

Holder
Individual
Source of authority
ReasonLived experience
Subject
Human centred
Degree of codification
Pattern based
Mode of transmission
Text drawing
Knowledge type
Relational embodied
Epistemic cluster
Western philosophical

Connections

Referenced by

Sources

  1. Reyner Banham. The New Brutalism: Ethic or Aesthetic?. Architectural Press, 1966.

Cite this entry

First published May 2026Last revised Jul 2026

CLAD. "Brutalism." Atlas of Architectural Thought. CLAD, 2026. https://www.cl-ad.com.au/research/atlas/movement/brutalism/. Accessed July 17, 2026.