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Angular, geometric shapes, hard edges, and monolithic constructions. You are either in a Lego set or looking at an example of brutalist architecture. It’s a devise style, with some seeing it as the pinnacle of function over form, while others just think of endless, soulless commie blocks, with rotting, exposed concrete.

To convert those with less positive impressions of brutalism and showcase the best of this design, the Instagram account brutbuilds gathers some of the best examples. So scroll down, upvote your favorites, and be sure to comment on the designs that surprised you. If you want to see some other examples of brutalist design, Bored Panda has you covered, so check out our other article here

#1

High Altitude Meteorological Observatory. . . Border Poland / Czech Republic

High Altitude Meteorological Observatory. . . Border Poland / Czech Republic

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#3

Chuvash State Opera And Ballet Theater, 1985, Russia

Chuvash State Opera And Ballet Theater, 1985, Russia

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Hippopotamuses
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If left to guess, I would never have imagined this building having anything to do with performance arts. Coal storage, possibly.

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Brutalism owes its popularity to Swedish architects and designers Bengt Edman and Lennart Holm. They created a house with exposed beams, exposed bricks, and hard angles. Another Swedish architect, Hans Asplund described it vividly in an article in the 1960s, which garnered a lot of attention. From there, it spread to Britain, the United States, France, and even India. In French, the style is sometimes referred to as 'béton-brut,' or ‘raw concrete.’

Careful readers may have noticed that brutalist design and architecture are used here somewhat interchangeably. While the most notable examples are buildings, often made of exposed brick and concrete, brutalism can also be seen as a general philosophy. The goal is function, first and foremost, and with that comes what some designers would describe as honesty. 

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#5

The Iron Fountain . . . Polytechnic University Of Gyumri

The Iron Fountain . . . Polytechnic University Of Gyumri

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#6

Ponte City Apartments, Johannesburg, South Africa

Ponte City Apartments, Johannesburg, South Africa

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Nor
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

DO NOT, I repeat...DO NOT GO ANYWHRE NEAR HERE!!!!!! I from Johannesburg and i wouldn't be even found dead here. This place is drug infested, run by the nigerians and ladies of the night.

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Everything should look like what it’s intended to be. A residential building doesn’t need to be adorned with all sorts of decorations to make it look more like a palace or cathedral. Similarly, the method of construction is also clearly visible. Concrete walls, exposed brick, and beams. There is nothing hiding the functional parts of the construction. To take this a step further, glass is often used in large amounts to give those on the inside and outside the freedom to see. The style might seem ugly at times, though architects would argue that this is to avoid feelings of nostalgia, which, they believed, are worse.  

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Often, the inner workings of a building are revealed. Pipes and conduits are on display and water tanks might be made visible to onlookers. This is in keeping with the theme of honesty. After all, most buildings and humans need running water and electricity to be functional, so why hide this obvious feature of existence? A lot of thought was given to interior space, at the visible cost of exterior decoration. The building's function is to house those inside it, not be a street decoration for onlookers.

#11

Japan Brutalism

Japan Brutalism

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Jrog
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Pretty sure it's a retainer wall for a slope, designed to blend into the hillside so when the vegetation grows it would be invisible. Great design IMHO.

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JamezyJamez
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is not brutalism. It's reinforcement for a slope to prevent falling rocks, mudslides, etc. It's designed as such to allow the natural greenery to live on while keeping the area safe for those below it.

Nizumi
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just because it's concrete doesn't mean it's an example of Brutalism.

Xray0976
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

All over Okinawa and Mainland Japan....think it's supposed to keep the rocks/soil from falling onto the roads?

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While these lofty ideals seem good in theory, often they break down, quite literally, in practice. Concrete has a tendency to chip and rot, leaving a number of residential buildings looking like abandoned bunkers from the second world war. The public is also often hostile to the style, as the Economist found in Britain. Often enough, when there is a campaign to demolish a building, the unit selected will be brutalist in style. People hate how the facade gets damp and overrun with moss and lichen. Steel beams suffer from rust and the style’s emphasis on uniformity makes alienates its residents.

#13

Edificio Fiesp, São Paulo, Brazil

Edificio Fiesp, São Paulo, Brazil

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TotallyNOTaFox
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Looks like one of those small robots from Star Wars that drive around on imperial ships

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#14

Nakagin Capsule Tower . . Tokyo. . 1972

Nakagin Capsule Tower . . Tokyo. . 1972

brutbuilds Report

Their appearance also strikes many as heartless and monolithic. While they are functional by principle, sometimes humans feel isolated and restricted by uniformity. The choice of materials also leads to a lot of urban decay, necessitating constant preservation efforts. So some wonder if something can truly be called functional if it needs more upkeep than some 19th and 20th-century constructions. 

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#17

Brutal Man

Brutal Man

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Hippopotamuses
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That space manages to be visually comfortable and uncomfortable at the same time.

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#19

Hyatt Regency, San Francisco

Hyatt Regency, San Francisco

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#21

Cbr Cement Company, Headquarters In Brussels

Cbr Cement Company, Headquarters In Brussels

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#22

Concrete Acoustic Sound Mirrors . . . 1920s

Concrete Acoustic Sound Mirrors . . . 1920s

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Debby Keir
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Quite a few sites in Kent (UK) - they were developed as an early warning system for 'enemy aircraft' middle of WW1, and in use till the 30's.

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#23

UFO In Bulgaria

UFO In Bulgaria

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Corvus
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It was meant to be a gathering/conference/ceremonial hall for the communist party, but was never really used. Then the regime fell and the whole thing was abandoned... but there are restoration efforts nowadays.

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#24

1970 Lancia Stratos Zero Concept

1970 Lancia Stratos Zero Concept

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Jrog
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How is that "brutalist"? It was a concept car pushing the limits of aerodynamic concept, lightning (the front lights, not shown here, are for the first time a single continuous line instead of two separate projectors) and mechanical layout. From the Stratos Zero was derived the Lancia Stratos HF, which dominated the rally scene in the early 1970s.

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#27

Damsel In Distress. . . Wroclaw, Manhattan

Damsel In Distress. . . Wroclaw, Manhattan

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#28

Niterói Contemporary Art Museum, Oscar Niemeyer, 1996

Niterói Contemporary Art Museum, Oscar Niemeyer, 1996

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RafCo (he/him/ele)
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Good example of modernist architecture, as are most of Neimeyers buildings. Not even remotely brutalist

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#29

World Waterpark. . . Edmonton, Alberta. . Canada

World Waterpark. . . Edmonton, Alberta. . Canada

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tw 72
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How is this brutal? Looks like a great way to spend a winter weekend!

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#30

1980 Trevior Fiore Citroen Karin

1980 Trevior Fiore Citroen Karin

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Jrog
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It was a concept car, designed to showcase new technologies in glass panel fittings (notice the flush, trimless corners). Never meant to be practical or functional, concept car take a few ideas and bring them to their extreme just to push technology further and have the designers gather lot of experience to translate into actual production vehicles. BTW, it's not brutalist either.

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#33

Mid Century Home

Mid Century Home

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#35

Lada 4x4. . . Residential Towers . . Yerevan, Armenia

Lada 4x4. . . Residential Towers . . Yerevan, Armenia

brutbuilds Report

#37

Communist Headquarters In Paris

Communist Headquarters In Paris

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#38

Orange County Government Center . . . Goshen, NY

Orange County Government Center . . . Goshen, NY

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Hippopotamuses
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I’m surprised there was any orange colour left after the 70s sucked most of it out of the atmosphere.

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#39

Fab-Union Space

Fab-Union Space

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#40

José Martí Fountain. . . Cuba

José Martí Fountain. . . Cuba

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J Adams
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Cuba is missing a trick by not embracing making every building a Cube, Cuba the land of the cube

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#43

Hotel Panorama

Hotel Panorama

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Emptycaketin
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's when you try to take a panoramic photo and your cat ends up having way too many legs

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#45

Mercedes Benz . . . Coruña, Spain

Mercedes Benz . . . Coruña, Spain

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#46

Esqueleto Hotel. . . 1950s

Esqueleto Hotel. . . 1950s

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C.M.
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Was it called Skeleton Hotel before it was apparently abandoned?

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#47

Neelam Theatre

Neelam Theatre

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Corvus
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Okay, that's a little unnerving. Gives me fallout bunker vibes.

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#48

La Tulipe . . . Geneva Switzerland

La Tulipe . . . Geneva Switzerland

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#50

Druzhba Sanatorium . . . Crimea. . 1985

Druzhba Sanatorium . . . Crimea. . 1985

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der sebbl
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's not that bad. Most of the rooms can overlook the sea and you've still got a decent amount of privacy

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#51

Brutal Slide

Brutal Slide

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#54

Constantin Brodzki 1970

Constantin Brodzki 1970

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tw 72
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It looks like the 1970s "modern" - but at least there are windows

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#55

Sc Johnson Headquarters

Sc Johnson Headquarters

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#56

Swimming Pool, Der Spiegel Building. . . Hamburg . . 1969

Swimming Pool, Der Spiegel Building. . . Hamburg . . 1969

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#57

House T. . . Tokyo

House T. . . Tokyo

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#58

Cold Comforts. . . Antarctic Research Base

Cold Comforts. . . Antarctic Research Base

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#59

Monument Of The Fallen Soldiers. . Serbia

Monument Of The Fallen Soldiers. . Serbia

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#60

Royal National Theatre . . . London

Royal National Theatre . . . London

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CHRIS DOMRES
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So has no one invented an anti mold treatment for concrete? Mold seems to be the major thing making these concrete structures so gross.

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#61

The National Library. . . Minsk, Belarus

The National Library. . . Minsk, Belarus

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DaisyGirl
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is photoshopped. The National Library is only one "pod" https://www.belarus.by/en/about-belarus/architecture/national-library

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#62

Paul Rudolph’s Lower Manhattan Expressway. . . 1967

Paul Rudolph’s Lower Manhattan Expressway. . . 1967

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#63

Disney’s Contemporary Resort. . . Orlando. . USA

Disney’s Contemporary Resort. . . Orlando. . USA

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#64

Chiesa Di San Giovanni Battista

Chiesa Di San Giovanni Battista

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Jrog
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Mario Botta's Church of St. John in Mogno, Switzerland. Not brutalist in any way, uses lot of local stone and has a peculiar blend of modern style and ancient materials and details (such as the portal shown, that reminds of the Tuscan Baroque). It was built in 1996 on the site of a XVI century chapel that was destroyed -along with part of the town- by an avalanche on 25th of April 1986. The church has the same volume and integrates some statues and the two bells of the old one.

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#65

Žižkov Television Tower, Prague, Czech Republic

Žižkov Television Tower, Prague, Czech Republic

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#67

Bolwoningen, S-Hertogenbosch. . . Netherlands

Bolwoningen, S-Hertogenbosch. . . Netherlands

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Jrog
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Bubble houses are the epitome of the Modernist style, calling them brutalist is a stretch.

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#69

Claire T. Carney Library At Umass Dartmouth

Claire T. Carney Library At Umass Dartmouth

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#70

Communist Headquarters Paris

Communist Headquarters Paris

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#72

Brutalist House

Brutalist House

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Lyone Fein
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When they say house I wish they would show us the house. They just show us a wall here.

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#73

New Sherp Just Landed In The States

New Sherp Just Landed In The States

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#75

The Most Brutal Seat Reserved. . . . Japan

The Most Brutal Seat Reserved. . . . Japan

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#76

Megatron Mcdonald’s, Cambridgeshire, England

Megatron Mcdonald’s, Cambridgeshire, England

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#79

The Oscar Niemeyer Step . . . Paris

The Oscar Niemeyer Step . . . Paris

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