Brutalism: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Facts

Related Artists	Le Corbusier • Frank Lloyd Wright • Ludwig Mies van der Rohe • Peter Smithson • Sir James Stirling

Photos

Le Corbusier: Assembly building in Chandigarh

Alison Smithson and Peter Smithson: Hunstanton School

Le Corbusier: Church at Firminy

Lina Bo Bardi: São Paulo Art Museum

Photo illustration of the Assembly building in Chandigarh, India, highlighting Brutalist architecture features such as raw concrete, geometric shapes, dramatic sculptural forms, and functional, unornamented design. Key elements are labeled to emphasize the use of low-cost materials and the building's bold, blocky silhouette.

Ten-story concrete Robin Hood Gardens housing block in Poplar, London, with repetitive window patterns and a grassy courtyard in front, photographed in 2008.

See All Images →

Topics

Cubism Rococo Gothic Revival Mughal architecture Georgian style International Style Palladianism Jacobean age Prairie style Norman style