
Yugoslavia's thrilling brutalist architecture - huihuiilly
http://bostonreview.net/literature-culture/anthony-paletta-was-architecture-better-under-socialism
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LeanderK
I have a weird fascination with bruatlist architecture. It seems that
everybody else hates it, but I like (some of) it.

It's a bit the architecture of the 60s in general, universally hated in
germany. But I find the optimism and futurism very interesting. The often
neglected facades have something tragic, like a broken promise of a future
straight out of comic-books.

There are definitily bad examples, but I define them by being boring, not
brutalist. I think it's an interesting expression of a epoch that's worth
preserving and also complements the architecture of the city. Of course, you
don't have to preserve everything.

I think the difference is that I don't think a building has to be good or
pleasant looking for me to like it (not that there are not example of
good/pleasant looking brutalist buildings!).

~~~
hawkweed
@LeanderK I have facionation with sci-fi / cyber punk movies, but would I like
to live in such world? I'm so sure about that.

It's same with the eastern bloc architecture. I'm guessing that you don't live
in one of those countries. Believe me it's not that fun at all.

Here is one interesting instagram channel with hand drawings of Belgrade
architecture:
[https://www.instagram.com/brutalizam_i_renesansa/](https://www.instagram.com/brutalizam_i_renesansa/)

~~~
keiferski
Not the OP but I’m an American guy that has been living in ex-Communist
countries (Poland, Serbia, Croatia, Etc.) for a few years. I don’t mind the
brutalist stuff - it beats mindless suburban America any day.

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yellowapple
Some pictures (besides just the first one) would've been a great addition to
this article.

~~~
acqq
The copyrights aren't bostonreview's. There was a MoMA exhibition:

[https://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/3931](https://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/3931)

The matching catalogue:

[https://store.moma.org/books/exhibition-
catalogues/toward-a-...](https://store.moma.org/books/exhibition-
catalogues/toward-a-concrete-utopia-architecture-in-
yugoslavia-1948%E2%80%931980---hardcover/900051-900051.html)

and

[https://store.moma.org/books/moma-
publications/bogdanovi%C4%...](https://store.moma.org/books/moma-
publications/bogdanovi%C4%87-by-bogdanovi%C4%87-yugoslav-memorials-through-
the-eyes-of-their-architect---hardcover/900052-900052.html)

You can however try searching the images using your favorite search machine.

E.g. one monument in Wikipedia:

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_Flower_(sculpture)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_Flower_\(sculpture\))

(Probably later image then on the second book cover and center is of the
flower is missing, or it's taken from another perspective)

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mjsweet
I know I’m in a minority, but I have had a long interest and affinity with
brutalism since performing in school musicals at QPAC in Brisbane Australia.
It’s a version of brutalism I think has been softened a bit to make it more
appealing to the general population. At the time it was built I believe it was
received with negativity, but now Queenslanders love the Southbank precinct.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queensland_Performing_Arts_Cen...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queensland_Performing_Arts_Centre)

~~~
dwd
The whole precinct is great from the GOMA, State Library and Museum to QPAC.

The only letdown is maybe The Edge which is a bit on the boring side.

As a thought: If you take the white tiles off the Sydney Opera House what do
you have?

[https://www.nma.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0008/544652/Opera...](https://www.nma.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0008/544652/Opera-
House-under-construction-1400h.jpg)

