Photographing Brutalist Buildings

 

Like many North American cities that grew rapidly after World War 2, Calgary had a building boom that was not untouched by brutalist architecture. 

If the idea of brutalist architecture is new for you, brutalism was a type of architecture that developed in the UK during the 1950s. Architects typically used exposed concrete and brick, or a combination of the two materials, in a manner that emphasized utility over decoration, but often with very interesting geometric designs.

The term brutalism does not originate or take its inspiration from the English word ‘brutal’ but comes from the French phrase beton brut.  

Perhaps the most well know brutalist building remaining in Calgary is the former Calgary Board of Education building in the city centre. 

It is believed that the Education Centre Building was inspired by Boston’s brutalist City Hall. While the Calgary building is much smaller, the resemblance is certainly there. The Stevenson Raines Barrett Hutton Seton and Partners designed building was completed in 1969. As mentioned above, it originally housed the Calgary Board of Education but it currently stands empty.

Tips on photographing brutalism architecture

On of the best approaches to photographing brutalism is to consider how the mood and weather interact with the brutalist style of architecture. The ominous, totalitarian nature of the buildings almost scream for being photographed on cold, dark, cloudy days that really accentuate the nature of the contemporary view of brutalism.

Respecting geometric forms  

The geometric forms incorporated into the buildings are often the most interesting aspects of the buildings.  Whether the photographer is inside the building and photographing the interior or outside the building and photographing the exterior, incorporating and building on the geometric patterns of the specific building can help with the creation of compelling images.

One of my favourite approaches is to photograph head on, being very careful to be right in the centre of the image in order to get the building properly framed.

If you photograph on an angle, I recommend giving one of the visible faces priority in the image. I find that this helps the viewer understand the image and not be confused by the composition.

Photographing details

Many brutalist buildings come with incredible design and detail. It's surprising in many ways, that architects managed to turn cement and brick into such interesting canvases.  Photographing details of brutalist buildings is worth the time and effort and good way to pay homage to these architects of the modern period. 

Your thoughts on Brutalist Architecture 

What are your favourite brutalist buildings? I would love to have you leave a comment with a link to your favourite (or perhaps least favourite) brutalist building!