Future of Britain’s Brutal Building

Is there a brutal building in your city? Share it with us.

It is said beauty lies in the eye of the beholder.

But what about brutal beauty? Brutalism is a name for a style of architecture made popular in the 1950s and 60s.

The buildings are concrete and often considered now to be eyesores.

For example in Boston there is the City Hall building, which is considered Brutalist. Some love it, some don’t.

In Britain, there is a debate raging about whether to save an example of Brutalist architecture.

Preston Bus Station, once the largest bus station in the world, is slated for demolition as part of a redevelopment scheme. That is despite being on the list of endangered cultural sites by the 2012 World Monuments Watch.

Anchor Marco Werman talks to Erica Avrami about why Britain’s Preston Bus Station is provoking strong reaction from those who want it preserved and those who want it destroyed.

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Marco Werman: They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so what about brutal beauty? Brutalism is a style of architecture that was quite popular in the ’50s and ’60s. The key characteristic is concrete sculpted into imposing geometric shapes. The often boxy designs are still cherished by architects, but considered eyesores by many others. The style can be found all over the globe. Here in Boston, for example, we have a Brutalist city hall building and in England, a Brutalist bus station is the focus of a heated debate. Preston Bus Station, once the largest in the world, is currently slated for demolition, but now the World Monuments Fund has listed the building as an endangered cultural site. Erica Avrami is the group’s director.

Erica Avrami: It is one of three very important Brutalist sites in the United Kingdom. Brutalist being a style of modern architecture, particularly predominant in the late 1960s. And since the bus site is under threat of demolition we want to raise awareness about its potential loss.

Werman: Listing the bus station as an endangered cultural site may help save the building from the wrecking ball, but even in Preston there are those who just want the thing gone. Peter Rankin is the leader of Preston City Council. He says it’s all well and good to appreciate the architecture…

Peter Rankin: But it’s supposed to be a working building, it’s supposed to be a bus station. It’s never really performed that particular function particularly well. But it’s been like marmite really, you either love it or hate it, and I have to say the majority of people do like it. It has been described as Brutalism. I think that’s a brilliant word to describe it.

Werman: In case you missed it, he compared Brutalism to marmite, a yeast spread many Brits put on their toast. Given its odor, that’s a bit of a low blow if you ask me. Architectural historian, Christina Malathouni, says there are good reasons to preserve Brutalism in Britain.

Christina Malathouni: It is a late stage of modernism. It is a later development of modernism. The peak of modernism was in ’20s and ’30s. So we’re going to the ’50s and ’60s, it’s quite an advanced stage. And the significant thing is that it is very vital for Britain. This particular style of British Brutalism is so important.

Werman: Love it, hate it, you be the judge. We have pictures of the Preston Bus Station and other examples of Brutalist architecture on our website, and while you’re there we want to know if there’s Brutalist buildings in your city. Post your photos at theworld.org.

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