Brutalist Architecture in Edmonton

[NielCole]

I'm not entirely sure if this would classify as brutalist, but it is definitely something close:

Definitely has that ominous presence that brutialism does so well, but it uses brick and the inner functionality isn't expressed that much on the exterior.

Telus Telephone Switching exchange. originally built by Edtel. They have always had a history of being rather forbidding due to the nature of the buildings function.

I would say that it qualifies as a variation of "Brutalist"

[Daniel FC]

University examples

there are some examples of brutalist arquitecture at the U of A: the law centre, the fine arts building and humanities centre. My favorite one is the Fine arts building, mainly the interior, its sweet.

http://www.campusmap.ualberta.ca/ind...r=6&feature=58
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Galle...tml?id=2112660
http://www.campusmap.ualberta.ca/ind...r=6&feature=57

[Old Dawg]

I quote me "all very brutal"

The "Golden Arches" of Architecture.
Make everything the same but charge huge fees for it.

[KC]

Would the legislature's undergrounds, interpretive centre area qualify? Does anyone have any photos of it they could post here?

Here's very extensive brutalism website including interior and exterior photos. Some look great some look like 'crap'. Personally, I' really like some examples of brutalist architecture* but find that some of it doesn't age well at all, which is ironic because it's mostly just concrete. However, I think I appreciate the look more after seeing some of the examples here:


http://fuckyeahbrutalism.tumblr.com




Sourced from this article:

strange kind of beauty: Manchester’s brutalist buildings
Whether you find modernism magnificent or hideous, the concrete wonderland of city architecture is worth a closer look
Excerpt:
"By the way, he says, brutalism doesn’t come from the word “brutal” as we think we know it, however appropriate it sounds. This brutalism is from Béton brut, which is French for raw concrete. "

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandst...m-architecture


*eg. there's a winery in the okanagan (Mission Hill I believe) that formed the interior concrete walls using wood planks to pick up the grain of the wood in the concrete. I love that hybrid look but it's rarely done as well as inside that winery.

[bulliver]

*eg. there's a winery in the okanagan (Mission Hill I believe) that formed the interior concrete walls using wood planks to pick up the grain of the wood in the concrete. I love that hybrid look but it's rarely done as well as inside that winery.

Off topic, but the elevator shaft at UCAMA was done that way...

[KC]

Interesting site..

http://www.edmontonsarchitecturalher...ctural-styles/

http://www.edmontonsarchitecturalher...les/brutalist/



Building Legacy

"This is a resource for exploring Edmonton’s historic built landscape. Come learn about the buildings that make Edmonton unique and the architecture that surrounds you everyday."

http://www.edmontonsarchitecturalheritage.ca

[Jaerdo]

^ What a great website! Thanks for linking that.

[sundance]

And yet more brutal examples.
http://gizmodo.com/7-endangered-exam...l-s-1636643535

[Erik Soderstrom]

And yet more brutal examples.
http://gizmodo.com/7-endangered-exam...l-s-1636643535

Wow. We Edmontonians sure took the brutalist style and ran with it didn't we? some of those examples are eerie... the Peavy Plaza in Minneapolis could be the legislature grounds... firmly believe that is part of our history but maybe we could lose a few examples!

[overoceans]

The Brutalist truth: 1960s concrete is part of history

[KC]

BBC - Culture - Saving Brutalism: The campaign to preserve concrete icons
“...
‘SOS Brutalism’ is showing at the German Architecture Museum in Frankfurt (Deutsches Architekturmuseum), where Elser is a curator. It aims to raise awareness of a style that was born in Britain in the 1950s, spread worldwide, and survived into the 1970s but is now, Elser says, endangered. The name derives not, as one might assume, from the word brutal, but from the French term béton brut, meaning ‘exposed concete’.
...”

http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/201...concrete-icons