Brutalism was one of the 20th century's most controversial architecture movements. The style is characterised by block forms, and raw concrete construction was a product of the 1950s and 60s. The term itself originates from the French 'beton brut' literally meaning 'raw concrete' and is often linked with Le Corbusier as his material of choice.
The root of brutalism is seated in its ruggedness and lack of concern in looking comfortable or welcoming. Concrete is used for its raw and unpretentious honesty, contrasting dramatically to the lightness, optimism, and frivolity of some 1930s and 1940s architecture.
Our own Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design is itself a monument of brutalist beauty. The building spans a long, narrow slope looking out on to the Perth Road. The structure makes its way up the hill over 9 floors, forming an L shaped plan. In its entirety, DJCAD is a flat-roofed mega-structure of partly exposed pre-cast concrete frame and panel. The front-facing Perth Road is made up of an asymmetric mix of vertical and horizontal blocks jutting out from the face of the building. The large, glass, box-like, front that houses the reception was added in 2012 and offsets the harsh concrete exterior of the rest of the building. The step-like nature of the structure is emphasised on the sloping side of the building with recessed windows running the length of the 4th-floor library offset by the exposed concrete frame. Glass and metal provide relief from the mass of concrete with full height glazed stairwells towards the end of the building.
The interior is a maze of concrete hallways and studios that open up to the 5th-floor central exhibition space spanning 3 floors in height interspersed by varying mezzanine levels and walkways.
The Mathew building is a prime example of brutalist architecture with its projecting planes and cutaways it truly is a monument of 20th-century architecture.
