The Most Hated Buildings in the World

Brutalism... Love or hate?! Brutalist buildings are one of the most controversial in the world, hated by many, but loved by a small subgroup of people. It’s also the building style that has captivated a wider range of audience outside of architecture. Here, we discuss why.

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I'm Dami, a licensed Architect living in Vancouver, BC. I make videos about architecture, career, and creativity.

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[DamiLeeArch]

Do you love or hate brutalist architecture? Why or why not?

[galaxytrio]

I suggest the most interesting question of all about Brutalism is how a style that a relatively small number of architects liked and the public hated became so ubiquitous -- in public buildings! An analysis of the social process that resulted in so many decision-makers green-lighting these buildings would be _fascinating, _ and quite relevant today. Was it similar to what happened to the admirers of the Emperor's new clothes?

[Saavik]

I grew up in former Yugoslavia and have been around brutalist architecture all my life and I actually really enjoy the style. I can understand why a lot of people don't, but to me it feels cool. I'm also on the autistic spectrum and have a thing about right angles and stuff so I guess that kinda is a factor as well. Great video! Looking forward to new ones! :)

[boldvankaalen]

I used to work in a brutalist building. I really hated going there. The scale, the greyness and lack of detail just say: you mean nothing, I am going to crush you.

[DudokX]

I love when brutalist buildings are combined with a lot of greenery. I like the contrast, almost makes it feel like a building from another planet in a sci-fi movie

[ribbit]

I was watching this, loving it and then I realised it's only got 640 views!! The editing is great, and it's presented really well, funny and engaging. I totally got big ytuber vibes off it.

[roguestarr]

Could do a video on 'Hostile Architecture' and its role in cities and its impact on homelessness? Its something ive just heard of, but ive seen around but never considered it as deterent for crime and loitering.

[mcm]

just discovered your channel and been catching a mix of your newer and older videos. Anyways - don’t have too much to say but just thank you - this is the type of content that I absolutely love on this platform. Taking something too complex and finding a way to break it down and eagerly consumed by a larger audience that may not have the educational or professional background to otherwise enjoy it. This really is what this platform is all about and I absolutely enjoy how you can break down such otherwise esoteric topics.

[Thebluebridgetroll]

I lived in a brutalist high rise dorm my freshman year of college at University of Washington. I have to say, I love the VISUALS of the 60s dorms, but living in them was miserable. Autumn and winter it was FREEZING, and then spring and summer it was BOILING. They had very poor insulation, and a central boiler heating system that they didn't turn on til January and left running until June. Made May and June disgustingly hot. All that said, the misery made for really good camaraderie and community. Made more friends that year bitching about how much the living situation sucked than I did any other year at school.

[dakoitcave]

You showed a pic of the famous Robarts library in University of Toronto campus. As one of the finest examples of brutalist design, it is also one of the largest and most depressing buildings in the whole historic campus. It just doesn’t fit with the other architecture throughout the campus. I personally couldn’t study there. It was supposed to be in a shape of a bird but it looks like a massive eyesore. The inside is vastly open, dark, cold, and “penitential”. It feels as though it’s supposed to repress the energy of new profound thought. This type of structure should never a be vessel for academia or higher learning.

[lovelydawnpalma]

You are so eloquent I just followed you today but I never stopped watching. I am fresh grad of architecture in the Philippines. My favorite architectural style since 2nd year is Brutalism. I love how you unravel the topic interestingly

[xeventidex]

there is a couple of brutalist buildings here in my town (brasília - BR), residential ones even, and as the town itself they divide opinions. i personally love them because of they emanate a very particular - almost nostalgic - austerity while minimalist in shapes. it's powerful to the senses, honestly. very liminal. they're often stained by rain or whatever which adds to the vibe, and they do contrast beautifully with organic elements such as trees and water.

[GhostedStories]

To me, Brutalism and Minimalism works or mixes well together.

[ann-marieeigert]

It’s the classic conflict that sometimes occurs between artistry and UX design. What is more important, to make a piece of art (a giant sculpture!) or to create a human-friendly place? I work in web dev and have seen many really cool yet really difficult websites. The difference is that once it is built the community can’t opt-out of a bad building.

[akaking]

I hate it because I live in Soviet built part of Tbilisi, which is famous for its different eras of architecture, from medieval to post modern.
Its nice to compare and contrast those radically different styles of architecture, especially when we have one of the best examples of Soviet Brutalism, Some buildings shown in this video are from Tbilisi.
But but but, living day to day, surrounded by featureless gray blocks, day in and day out, every Housing block exactly the same as the last thousand, no way to tell where you are by landmarks because they are all the same, it becomes dreadful, then you go to the center of the town to the old streets and see pretty colored, richly detailed old wooden houses, with European styles of office buildings, small parks and fun statues, the contrast makes going home much harder.

[LeRoiJojo]

Here in Quebec, a lot of public buildings were built in a brutalist style, and I have to admit I have grown to like them a lot. The 60s and 70s, here, were steeped in optimism; society was changing, fast, and mostly for the better. Everything was being built and rebuilt. It has been called "The Tranquil Revolution", and for good reason. And there's just something, something I can feel, being in the big concrete blocks that have become our universities and our government buildings. I can feel the air of the 60s, back to a time where modernity was something good and exciting, something we were not ashamed to show to the world. There's something soulful in there. Modern Quebec, the one I know, has been built from within brutalist buildings, and in a way, I feel like they still are the very tangible manifestation of the hopes and dreams the previous generations had for our future.

[KarolYuuki]

The library of my University is a brutalist building. I have never felt so uncomfortable in a library on my life and I didn't know why.
That was probably a big factor

[eljanrimsa]

I went to school in a brutalist concrete building and I really hated the atmosphere it created. I don't care about the outside, but it had loud steel stairs that amplified the sound of every step, and a green plastic carpeting that always smelled bad and gave you bad burns.

[erwinc.]

Brutalism is not an easy style to do well, but when done well, can be absolutely amazing. To me the main visual feature of Brutalism is the mass and weight. The earthy texture and colour of rough cast concrete combined with the strong geometric lines create imposing structures that incite a sense of strength and security. However it needs to be clevered kept in check with either greenery (see case of Barbican), paint/mosaic (see Unite d'Habitation), or simply through clever, futuristic lines (see Genex Tower). When the elements combine well, you get a building that feels warm and earthy, yet not overbearing.

Tadao Ando appears to like concrete. I do not know if that makes him Brutalist. I love his The Modern Museum in Ft Worth. Walking in and around it feels like an adventure of discovery. I would love to see his other buildings too. You are a talented presenter. I fell into the rabbit hole of your channel today and have really enjoyed it.