Brutal Architecture: Endangered or Gone
Brutalism is an architecture style that was popular in the late 1950s. The characteristic of the buildings are its simplistic, geometric forms and constructed mainly of raw concrete which makes the building unique. The design elements of the buildings were derived from Modernism which intended to be bold and innovative, in its own way of expressing post-war optimism and an ideal utopia. Concrete was a profound material back in 1950s, as it seem to be capable of reconciling architecture with the rapid pace of industrial progress in technology. Therefore, many of these buildings are built with the intention of it being low-cost and ideal for social
housing to fit the growing population.
In this compendium, the case studies collected are looking into housing and commercial estates in Europe and Singapore. As numerous iconic Brutalist architecture started out in Europe, it influenced the Singapore government to follow suit. The iconic buildings in Singapore are designed solely by local talents, and are in risk of demolition or redevelopment. These case studies would aid in my understanding of the measures taken in preserving the endangered buildings, and the reasons that leads to demolition.
