Brutalist Architecture Mag

BETON BRUT

INSIGHT TO THE FORMER XEROX BUILDING IN DOWNTOWN ROCHESTER

HISTORY OF BRUTALISM

POPULAR DESIGNERS & BUILDINGS

INTERIOR DESIGN THE XEROX TOWER

LES ARTH

With our first publication was in 2023, this inaugural issue turns our attention to a controversial and significant and rising period in architectural history known as Brutalism. Having the goal of educating readers about the conceptual ideas and spatial principles during this time period, there is an opportunity to develop a comprehensive understanding.

To see photographs and more information about the content included or designers visit us on our website www.betonbrut.com.

AUTUMN HOWARD | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

AUTUMN HOWARD | GRAPHIC DESIGN CONTRIBUTORS

Autumn is third year interior design student at Rochester Institute of Technology. In her free time she goes home to see her two family dachshunds, Lucy and Gracie.

HALIE LAGO | RESEARCHER

Halie is a third year interior design student at Rochester Institute of Technology. She enjoys spending her time with her corgi, Ticoh.

WHERE DID BRUTALISM COME FROM?

Brutalist architecture is a style of fascination that has taken on a new popularity in recent years. This issue looks at the buildings that stands out for their arresting scale and their association with the expanding states in the 1950's through the 1970's. They were means for creating conversations about welfare state goals as cities began to rehouse populations displaced by the war.

The buildings themselves were meant to stand out as individual works of bold aesthetic value but they often fit into the wider replanning of cities - signifying the strong state and the importance of utilitarian social programs for housing, schools, and local governance.

A NEW CIVILITY OF URBAN PLANNING WITH STRUCTURAL HONESTY AND CATHARTIC MINIMALISM

The movement known as Brutalism was popularized in large part by the British husband and wife architectural duo, Alison and Peter Smithson, who lauded the honesty and straightforwardness of working in concrete.

The Brutalist architecture was characterized by its minimalist construction that showcase the bare building materials and structural elements over decorative design. The style commonly makes use of exposed concrete or brick, angular geometric shapes, and a monolithic appearance. It emphasizes a raw, rugged, and unpretentious beauty - in both form and function.

Many examples from this period range from residential buildings to cultural institutions and civic centers, each reflecting the ethos of its time and inspiring a range of reactions, from admiration to controversy.

Jack Carter (Michael Caine) is a cold-blooded London gangster, and not the man you want to cross. When Carter's brother winds up dead, he travels to Newcastle to arrange the funeral. Convinced that his brother was murdered, Carter questions local thug Eric (Ian Hendry), who eventually leads him to kingpin Kinnear. From there, Carter carves a bloody trail of revenge through the seedy underbelly of Newcastle in search of his brother's killer.

1971 1971 2014

MOVIES

THE CLOCKWISE ORANGE

In an England of the future, Alex (Malcolm McDowell) and his "Droogs" spend their nights getting high at the Korova Milkbar before embarking on "a little of the old ultraviolence," while jauntily warbling "Singin' in the Rain." After he's jailed for bludgeoning the Cat Lady to death, Alex submits to behavior modification technique to earn his freedom; he's conditioned to abhor violence. Returned to the world defenseless, Alex becomes the victim of his prior victims.

THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKING JAY

Following her rescue from the devastating Quarter Quell, Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) awakes in the complex beneath the supposedly destroyed District 13. Her home, District 12, has been reduced to rubble, and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) is now the brainwashed captive of President Snow (Donald Sutherland). At the same time, Katniss also learns about a secret rebellion spreading throughout all of Panem -- a rebellion that will place her at the center of a plot to turn the tables on Snow.

TRINITY SQUARE PARKING GARAGE

THE THAMESMEAD ESTATE England

LES

Rodney Gordon Gateshead, England

FAMOUS WORKS

UNITE D’HABITATION DE MARSIELLE

LE CORBUSIER

MARSEILLE, FRANCE

ECONOMIST BUILDING

ALISON & PETER SMITHSON

LONDON, ENGLAND

1964 1952 1961

BANGLADESH NATIONAL PARLIMENT HOUSE

LOUIS KAHN & MUZHARUL ISLAM

DHAKA, BANGLADESH

NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT

ARMSTRONG RUBBER COMPANY 1968

1967

HABITAT 67

MOSHE SAFDIE

MONTREAL, CANADA

1975

BANK OF GEORGIA

GEORGE CHAKHAVA

TBILISI, GEORGIA

MARCEL BRUER

INTERIOR DESIGN RAW MATERIALS UNPOLISHED SHAPES

STEEL, STONE, WOOD, & GLASS

Boston City Hall is celebrated, and sometimes a controversial example, of Brutalist architecture. Its designers created a structure that embodies the raw and powerful essence of Brutalism, not just in its imposing concrete exterior but also throughout its interior spaces as well.

The interior spaces are characterized by stark geometric forms and an unconventional layout. The building’s design emphasizes vertical and horizontal planes, creating dramatic, sculptural spaces that serve both functional and aesthetic purposes. These volumes are complex and intricately connected, contributing to a sense of openness yet with clearly designed purposes for each area.

ARCHITECTS:

MICHAEL MCKINNELL & GERHARD KALLMANN

The decor and finishes follows the Brutalist ethos of truth to materials and simplicity, having little to no embellishment. The focus is instead on the raw beauty of its materialsconcrete, steel, and glass. As well as the interplay of light and shadow within the space. Furnishings and fixtures are also typically straightforward and functional, avoiding unnecessary decoration.

Natural light plays a crucial role in the building’s interior design. Large windows and strategically placed openings allow light to filter in - creating patterns of light and shadows throughout the day which highlights the textural qualities of the concrete in a dynamic manner.

XEROX TOWER ROCHESTER, NY

ARCHITECT: WELTON BECKET BUILT: 1968

The Xerox Tower is a skyscraper in Rochester, NY that stands 443ft tall, consisting of 31 stories. The tower is one part of Xerox square that consists of the main tower, a small two story office building, a 700-seat auditorium and a parking garage. When the tower was built in 1967, it was the tallest building made of poured-in-place exposed concrete.

In 2018 Xerox Corporation left the building moving the last of staff to their Webster, NY campus. The plaza was bought in 2020 and is now known as Innovation Square. The tower now has fifteen floor of student housing with the 28th and 29th floors remaining old Xerox. The rest of the floors are offices available for rent. The only thing that remains of old Xerox is the architecture, the interiors are entirely made new.

The former Xerox building is a central staple to the city skyline of Rochester, New York. It stands roughly 443 feet tall over a 2.7 acre lot and was the largest skyscraper structure to be made of poured-in-place exposed aggregate concrete at its time of construction in 1967.

The building, now known as Innovation Square is surrounded by two well known memorial parks - Washington Square & Martin Luther King Jr, Memorial, numerous local restaurant spots, parking garages, Rochester’s Lucky Flea Market, and the Montage Music Hall. Being right off of the city highway and nearby the city’s largest attractions - Blue Cross Arena and Dinosaur BBQ, it is a historic monument that will be relevant to Rochester’s daily life for decades to come.

CLINTON SQUARE

A DEEPER DIVE

The building is made of stark linear geometry, reflecting the powerful Brutalist construction. Its extremely contrasting material and dense structure stands out within Rochester’s skyline - being seen from dozens of miles away.

WHAT IS IT NOW?

Innovation square is a mixed use facility that has businesses and student housing. A collaborative campus in the heart of downtown Rochester in which students from multiple colleges, universities and institutions can live, learn and innovate in an urban environment. With 12 floors of commercial office space, Innovation Square is an active community in which any business can call home. A collaborative campus with a renovated lobby, welcoming front desk and campus like feel, Innovation Square is a place like no other. Whether an entire floor or a single office, Innovation Square has a range of spaces available to suit any business’ needs.

Brutalist Interior Design Styles & Architecture. LuxDeco. (n.d.).

https://www.luxdeco.com/the-luxurist/brutalist-architecture-design

Concrete changes: Architecture, politics, and the design of Boston city hall on JSTOR. (n.d.-a).

https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv35q8m4

Discussions of brutalist architecture on Social Media. (n.d.-b).

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/12063312211019384

Hohenadel, K. (2023, September 8). What is Brutalism?. The Spruce.

https://www.thespruce.com/what-is-brutalism-4796578

Marcel Breuer’s iconic work: From bauhaus to brutalism. TheCollector. (2024, March 25).

https://www.thecollector.com/marcel-breuer-works/

Martin, M. (2022, March 17). 9 examples of Brutalist architecture in film. Architectural Digest. https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/brutalistarchitecture-in-film

McLaughlin, K. (2023, July 12). Brutalist architecture: Everything you need to know. Architectural Digest.

https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/brutalist-architecture-101

Xerox Tower. Downtown Definitely. (2021, January 3).

https://rochesterdowntown.com/commercial-listings/xerox-tower/

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