Raw Concrete: A Field Guide to British Brutalism - Hardcover

Calder, Barnabas

4.3

109 ratings by Goodreads

9780434022441: Raw Concrete: A Field Guide to British Brutalism

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0434022446 ISBN 13: 9780434022441

Publisher: William Heinemann, 2016

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A unique guide to architecture, and a radical, personal and entertaining appraisal of eight of Britain's most controversial buildings.
     B�ton brut or 'raw concrete' was a term coined by Le Corbusier and appropriated by two young British architects in the 1950s to describe a new kind of building: austere, unadorned, monolithic, confrontational and constructed almost entirely in concrete.
     Brutalist architecture blossomed in Britain in the second half of the twentieth century, with planners favouring its functionality and low costs for social housing projects, government buildings and shopping centres. But as the school spread, so its reputation foundered, with Brutalism quickly becoming synonymous with crime, economic deprivation and inner-city decay.
     In the twenty-first century, Brutalist buildings are just as prominent, and just as pilloried -- seen by many as 'spiky survivors of the sixties'. But there is another side to Brutalism, one of artistic vision, political idealism and painstaking attention to detail: a school of architecture to celebrate, not destroy.
     Raw Concrete provides a groundbreaking history of the heavy-concrete architecture of post-war Britain, as well as a personal and illuminating guide to eight pivotal Brutalist buildings. Beginning in a tiny concrete hermitage on the remote north Scottish coast, and ending up backstage at the National Theatre, Raw Concrete takes us on a wide-ranging journey through Britain over the past sixty years, stopping to examine how these buildings were made -- from commission to construction -- why they have been so hated, and why they should be loved.

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About the Author:

BARNABAS CALDER is a historian of architecture specialising in British architecture since 1945. He is lecturer at the University of Liverpool, and is compiling an online archive on the work of Sir Denys Lasdun, funded by the Graham Foundation and in collaboration with the RIBA British Architectural Library Special Collections.

Review:

"The best introduction to this most exciting and visceral period of British architecture - a learned and passionate book." -- Simon Bradley, author of The Railways "Part history, part aesthetic autobiography, wholly engaging and liable to convince those procrastinators sitting (uncomfortably) on the concrete fence." -- Jonathan Meades "A compelling and evocative read, one that is meticulously researched, and filled with insight and passion. Through Barnabas Calder's personal narrative we gain a deep understanding and appreciation of a tough subject." -- Kate Goodwin, Head of Architecture, Royal Academy of Arts "A fascinating odyssey through Britain's Brutalist landscape. The journey is sometimes breathtaking, but always insightful and informed. By its end, we understand the complexity, skill, and vision, as well as the politics, that created the buildings he explores in such loving detail." -- Elizabeth Darling, author of Re-Forming Britain "Barnabas Calder is a self-outed lover of concrete, a man who doesn't visit buildings but makes "pilgrimages". He holds back on neither his praise for the objects of his passion, nor his wrath against those who threaten them. Buy this excellent book, read it and go out and hug your nearest lofty edifice in concrete and glass!" -- Neil Baxter, The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland "This engrossing book by a fellow self-confessed concrete lover is both a witty travelogue and memoir and the clear-sighted history of Brutalist buildings. Barnabas Calder relishes the craftsmanship, the financial back stories, and the aims and ambitions of a diverse generation of architects, whose works deserve our sympathy." -- Catherine Croft, Director, Twentieth Century Society "This celebration of all things concrete will please both its aficionados and those who find it hard to love ... Calder's distinctive approach is a combination of scholarliness with personal association ... An engaging and accessible guide for those drawn towards these ex-monstrosities." * Observer * "It's not a history book ... It's chatty, anecdotal and thoroughly entertaining ... My advice? Read the book, load up your mobile with some rock `n' roll and Calder's online photos, and go hug some concrete." * Times Higher Education * "Calder provides the ideal eye-opening introduction for the curious general reader. It deserves a large audience ... This is a charmingly personal book, authoritatively knowledgeable and spikily argumentative." * Literary Review * "Calder wants to make an argument about the greatness of Brutalism as an architectural style. He writes beautifully." -- Owen Hatherley * London Review of Books * "Eclectic and readable." -- Rowan Moore * Observer 'Architecture Books of the Year' * "Impressively well-written... Calder writes with the opinionated self-assurance of the young Ruskin. Compelling reading... thrilling... excellent." -- Adrian Forty * RIBA Journal * "This is a strongly-argued and at times refreshingly polemical book, one guaranteed to change your opinion of an ambitious and much-maligned architectural style that, like it or not, has had a profound effect on our built environment." * The National * "Calder's book is the very antithesis of the recent glut of coffee-table-style, #brutalism, which focus primarily on appearance. By adopting a personal perspective, he humanises what is often demonised as an alienating material." * Blueprint Magazine * "An excellent - and highly readable - guide ... If you're interested in Brutalism as architecture and construction practice, if you're interested in its meaning and its context, buy this book." * Municipal Dreams * "Barnabas Calder brings us tales of the unexpected and breathes life into what some night call one of the unloveliest of building materials ... illuminating and spirited." * Monocle * "He writes beautifully." * London Review of Books *

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