What's your favourite bit of brutalist architecture?

[matticus]

University of East Anglia, we visited with my daughter earlier this year.

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Might be twinned with this beauty at Christ's College, Cambridge

https://www.varsity.co.uk/images/dyn/store/700/0/18994.jpeg
("The Typewriter")

 

[Bonefish Blues]

No - it's on the other side of town. West Street to be precise. Rolls Royce back entrance is on the other side of the road a bit further down.

It's so long ago I was a regular visitor, never mind living there. Mind fades! Thought it was the Depot where my dad used to work.

 

[Once a Wheeler]

Second World War bunker: Atlantic Wall.

 

[johnblack]

IMO the boldest piece of Brutalist architecture in Northampton was Barclaycard House a 1960's vision of a utopian future, now sadly demolished.

The vehicles seem strangely old fashioned in comparison.

View attachment 557130

As a youth I did some work there with my Dad fitting ceilings, it was grim.

At one point, nearly everyone in Northampton had either worked at Barclaycard or Nationwide (I was Nationwide). Both got paid on the last Thursday of the month. That night in Town was ace, like the wild west, but just with shoulder pads, high heels and slip ons.

 

[Gunk]

As a youth I did some work there with my Dad fitting ceilings, it was grim.

At one point, nearly everyone in Northampton had either worked at Barclaycard or Nationwide (I was Nationwide). Both got paid on the last Thursday of the month. That night in Town was ace, like the wild west, but just with shoulder pads, high heels and slip ons.

Very true, I’m originally from Northampton and was 18 back in 1983, Friday and Saturday nights were not for the faint hearted!

 

[johnblack]

Very true, I’m originally from Northampton and was 18 back in 1983, Friday and Saturday nights were not for the faint hearted!

It calmed down around 88-89 when ecstasy kicked in, the change was crazy, all the hooligans that used to be out fighting were all of a sudden hugging each other. Here's a blast from the past.

 

[Mr Celine]

I always liked this building in Kaliningrad when I used to travel there regularly, long abandoned as it started collapsing soon after it was occupied:
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...and then there's Aylesbury....

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If you put this Aylesbury council block in Kaliningrad, nobody would notice...they should be twinned....

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The Kaliningrad one is going to be demolished.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...ing-in-kaliningrad-to-be-demolished-next-year

 

[Fab Foodie]

I always liked this building in Kaliningrad when I used to travel there regularly, long abandoned as it started collapsing soon after it was occupied:
View attachment 556065

...and then there's Aylesbury....

View attachment 556066

If you put this Aylesbury council block in Kaliningrad, nobody would notice...they should be twinned....

View attachment 556067

View attachment 556068

Nnnnnnnnnooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...ing-in-kaliningrad-to-be-demolished-next-year

 

[Fab Foodie]

The Kaliningrad one is going to be demolished.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...ing-in-kaliningrad-to-be-demolished-next-year

View attachment 557957

Beat me to it by 1 minute!!!

 

[Profpointy]

The Kaliningrad one is going to be demolished.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...ing-in-kaliningrad-to-be-demolished-next-year

View attachment 557957

I quite like that. It has something, but that said there may be reasons to get rid such as structural issues or whatever

 

[Fab Foodie]

I quite like that. It has something, but that said there may be reasons to get rid such as structural issues or whatever

My understanding from the locals was that it was only part-occupied after construction for a short period of time because it was known to have problems even when finished. It was supposed to be a civic building but allegedly only ever occupied by 'Security Forces'. As a landmark it really stands out!
Wonder what will go in its place?

 

[Archie_tect]

My son went to Birmingham Uni to study French and was put in the infamous Eden Tower for his first year.... it was a 60s concrete clad tower block with one stair serving the whole 20 or so storeys ... the university were only allowed to use the lower part of the building as it had failed numerous electrical safety tests and none of the kitchens were allowed toasters or microwaves to avoid blowing the mains fuses! The students loved it as they couldn't make it any worse than it already was! Some of the parents of the students in the tower were horrified and lobbied to get their children out so by Christmas of their first year the tower was condemned and everyone was moved out. He has happy memories of it and made lifelong friendships!

The university had scheduled the block for demolition the year after he started but some bright spark at EH decided to list it to try and prevent its demolition.

We bumped into his French teacher a few months ago and chatted to him about our son's experiences in first year and he told he studied French at Brum and stayed in Eden Tower too - it was brand new then and 'state of the art'!

 

[PeteXXX]

Owen Luder obituary
Architect who gave Britain some of its best-known brutalist buildings, including the car park that features in the cult film Get Carter died today.

~The Times link ~

 

[Gravity Aided]

At Uni, I had my classes here-

and lived here-

A rather brutal existence, at that.

 

[Gravity Aided]

Definitely my favorite bit of brutalistic architecture.