How to Recognize Brutalist Architecture
Brutalism is visually unmistakable. Here is what to look for.
Materials
Raw, exposed concrete (béton brut) is the defining material. The surface shows the imprint of timber formwork — board-marked textures with visible grain patterns. Concrete is left unpainted and unfinished. In London, the Barbican Estate's towers display the full vocabulary: board-marked concrete with a hammered aggregate finish that gives each surface a distinctive texture.
Forms & Massing
Massive, sculptural volumes with a sense of weight and permanence. Buildings often appear as monoliths — heavy blocks, cylinders, or stacked horizontal decks. Berlin's Mäusebunker stacks laboratory decks in a stepped pyramid of raw concrete. Goldfinger's Trellick Tower in London separates its service tower from the residential slab, connected by walkways at every third floor.
Facade & Surface
Repetitive structural bays create a strong visual rhythm. Deep window recesses cast dramatic shadows. The facade IS the structure — there is no cladding or veneer hiding the concrete frame. Surfaces are deliberately rough, not smooth. Look for the interplay of heavy concrete walls and deeply set voids.
Details
-
Board-marked concrete — timber grain imprinted in the surface
-
Deep window recesses that cast strong shadows
-
Exposed structural elements — beams, columns, service ducts
-
Walkways and elevated platforms connecting building volumes
-
Repetitive modular bays — the same unit repeated across the facade
-
Monumental entrances — oversized openings cut into massive walls
Context
Brutalist buildings make no attempt to blend in. They announce themselves through sheer material presence. In urban settings they often occupy large sites — housing estates, civic complexes, cultural centres — where the building IS the environment. The Barbican in London is the most complete example: a self-contained city within the city.
