Architecture'brutalist interiors' explores hidden life behind concrete facades across the globe

‘brutalist interiors’ explores hidden life behind concrete facades across the globe

Brutalist Interiors: Concrete Spaces Around the World

 

Behind the stark facades of concrete landmarks lies a world of interior spaces that are seldom seen yet deeply influential. The Brutalist Interiors book, edited by Derek Lamberton and published by Blue Crow Media, uncovers these hidden environments — civic halls, sacred structures, social housing complexes, and private dwellings — through a global survey of architecture that captures the material intensity and sculptural clarity at the heart of Brutalism.

 

Moving beyond the exterior, the book presents a richly documented narrative of Brutalist interiors, spanning Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. The volume combines new photography with original essays to reveal how these spaces continue to embody both aesthetic precision and ideological ambition. Civic projects in Ghana, meditative concrete forms in Japan, and Montreal’s iconic Habitat 67 are among the featured examples, each documented with rigour and care.


Barbican | image by Max Colson – all images courtesy of Blue Crow Media

 

 

Essays and Photography in Dialogue

 

Contributions from architectural writers and historians — including Blake Gopnik, Naomi Pollock, Deane Madsen, Gili Merin, Felix Torkar, and others — examine the ethical, social, and political conditions that shaped Brutalist design. Their essays offer a nuanced perspective on how interiors reflect the cultural ambitions of their time, while photographs by Iwan Baan, Roberto Conte, Stefano Perego, Leonardo Finotti, and Simon Phipps capture their austere beauty and formal dynamism.

 

Published by independent publisher Blue Crow Media, the book combines over 100 photographs with seven essays and a foreword, Brutalist Interiors functions as both a visual archive and a critical reflection, offering readers a rare opportunity to engage with the interiors that define some of the most significant Brutalist works.

'brutalist interiors' explores hidden life behind concrete facades across the globe
Faculty of Philosophy Novi Sad | image by Relja

'brutalist interiors' explores hidden life behind concrete facades across the globe
Shui Cultural Center | image by west-line studio

'brutalist interiors' explores hidden life behind concrete facades across the globe
Johannes XXIII Church

'brutalist interiors' explores hidden life behind concrete facades across the globe
Cafeteria Saarland Mensa Canteen

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