A bike ride in celebration of Brutalist architecture
I have been wanting to watch The Brutalist. Given all the praise it's been receiving across the media, and my slight penchant for this type of architecture I think it's worth watching. I had thought of going to watch it on my birthday a few days ago. But in the end, I worked out that it's 3hrs 35 minutes and 15-minute duration, plus travelling time to get to and from the cinema would mean I'd spend a large chunk of my day in a darkened room.
That's understandable if you have a a migraine or are an old-skool photographer. I don't fall into either of those categories, and preferred to spend my celebratory day doing a selection of activities in daylight - albeit slightly grey daylight given the dreich weather.
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| Crystal Palace Sports Centre (designed by Leslie Martin and Norman Engleback, 1957) |
However, by way of commemorating this type of chunky architecture which became all the rage between the 1950s and 1980s, I decided to do a Brutalist architecture themed bike ride in my South London neighbourhood.
There are lots of well-known Brutalist buildings in London with iconic status - a number of them are even Grade II listed: The Barbican Centre, National Theatre, Centrepoint, Trellick Tower, Brunswick Shopping Centre.
I do plan on riding a circuit to take in these famous buildings. On this day though, I chose to stay local and went around Beckenham, Penge, Crystal Palace, Dulwich, Herne Hill. Interestingly, I didn't think I would find much in these places as they are largely aesthetically pleasant neighbourhoods with much older and stylish looking public buildings.
But in fact you're never far from Brutalism - weather you like it or not, it's all around - be it a block of flats, a sports centre, library, hospital, or even a work of “art”.
Brutalist buildings I saw on my bike ride:
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| Brandon House and Porchester Mead housing blocks, Beckenham Hill |
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| Queen Adelaide Court, Penge (designed by Edward Armstrong, 1951) |
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| Dawson's Heights, Dulwich (designed by Kate Macintosh, 1964) |
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| Blanchedowne, Denmark Hill Estate (Camberwell Borough architects, 1946) |
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| Loughborough Junction industrial zone and Higg's Yard seen from Ruskin Park |
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| Hurst Street Estate tower blocks, Herne Hill (Lambeth Council architects, 1968) |
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| Monolithic seating area, "Stonepenge" in Crystal Palace park alongside statue of Joseph Paxton, architect of the original Crystal Palace |
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| Crystal Palace Athletics Stadium Jubilee Stand, 1977 |
Brutalist architecture definitely gives a “Marmite” reaction - people either love it, though more often, loathe it. I must say I belong to the former category, and harbour the feelings of awe when I first saw such buildings as an eight or ten-year old. It made me feel inspired to be associated with such structures. As a child of the 70s these buildings provided very useful facilities for the people at a time when housing and leisure facilities were not easily available.
My ride lasted longer than anticipated, as I stopped many times to take photos. In the end I was out for just under three hours - not quite as long as The Brutalist, but still long enough!
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