#brutalism — Modernist Delights

Cotswold House, Torquay, 2025

A large, grey, concrete office building with four storeys of windows is shown under a partly cloudy sky. Cars are parked in front at ground level, where a sign reading Cotswold is visible above a parking area.

A black car is parked beside an empty parking space with a metal barrier. Behind them is a building with large windows, visible stairs inside, grey brick and concrete walls, and a CCTV camera above the middle window. Trees are on the right edge.

A grey concrete office building with rows of windows is shown. Three cars are parked in front, and a stairway is seen at the left. Trees and blue sky with clouds appear above the roof, and sunlight highlights parts of the building.

Largely anonymous 60’s/70’s Department for Work and Pensions call centre, replacing an “elegant” 1840s villa of the same name. Nonetheless, there is something pleasing about a building fitting in so well into a hilly area.

Central Church, Torquay, 2025

A modern concrete church with a large grid-like tower and central cross stands at a street corner. Steps lead to the entrance labelled Central Church. A person in an orange top walks nearby. Older stone buildings and a church spire are visible in the background.

A modern concrete church with a tall, geometric façade featuring grids and a large cross at the top. The entrance has glass doors and a sign reading “Central Church.” The sky is blue with scattered clouds. Potted flowers decorate the entrance area.

A tall, narrow window set in a textured, grey concrete block wall. The window is framed with a simple concrete border and casts a shadow. Light and shadow highlight the rough, grid-like pattern of the blocks. The ground below is worn and partially shaded.

A concrete sign reads CENTRAL CHURCH with METHODIST & UNITED REFORMED underneath. A white board advertises Sunday worship at 10.30 am and Holy Communion, listing contact details for the minister and room lettings. Shrubs are in front.

A brutalist building with textured concrete walls, narrow vertical windows, and angular forms stands under a partly cloudy sky. Two spiky-leaved palm trees cast shadows on the facade, and steps lead up to the main entrance from a sloped pavement.

A concrete garage with vertical metal doors is set into a stone building. Yellow hazard tape blocks the entrance, and there are parked cars and residential houses to the right. The sky is partly cloudy.

A building with steps leading to the entrance.

What great luck to simply happen upon such a beautiful building. The striking tower signifies the union of three previous churches which united in order to build a new church fit for modern day needs. Designed by Edward Narracott, Tanner and André, built 1975.

Fun fact from the church website’s history section:

The Hall is high enough to be used for championship badminton.

Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre, London, 2025

A brutalist concrete building with angular shapes houses the Hayward Gallery. A sign above a ramp reads Hayward Gallery. A large billboard advertises a NARA exhibition. Several white vans are parked below; the sky is overcast.

To celebrate the Grade II listing of the Southbank Centre.

Theatre Royal car park, Plymouth, 2025

A large, multi-storey concrete car park with rounded edges and horizontal lines dominates a mostly empty urban street. The sky is partly cloudy, and a tall office building is visible in the background. Road signs and pedestrian crossings surround the car park.

A multi-storey concrete car park with wide, flat, textured floors and gaps between levels. A white streetlamp stands in front, and a metal fence borders the pavement. Yellow and red pillars are visible inside, with a partly cloudy sky above.

A multi-storey, concrete car park with three main levels, supported by red and blue columns. There’s a street in front with a railing and a yellow sign warning of a car park height restriction. The sky is cloudy.

A multi-storey concrete car park with three visible levels. No Entry signs and barriers block the entrance. Faded NO ENTRY is painted on the ground. The sky is partly cloudy above the building. The scene appears quiet and empty.

Riviera International Centre, Torquay, 2025

A paved path leads to blue and green tennis courts, separated by fences. A large, modern building with Riviera Centre signage stands in the background, surrounded by trees. The sky is partly cloudy, and the foreground shows dry, patchy grass.

A large, modern concrete building labelled “RIVIERA CENTRE” has balconies and palm trees in front. Two parked cars and two people standing near a sign are visible. The sky is partly cloudy, and the area looks clean and well-maintained.

A modern, grey concrete leisure centre with large mirrored windows reflects the sky. A yellow Waves sign is on the upper wall. Bushes and palm trees surround the entrance. A paved path and grassy area with rocks are in front, under a partly cloudy sky.

A dense cluster of palm fronds grows in front of black metal garage doors set into a concrete building. The pavement consists of grey interlocking bricks. A red and white ‘No entry’ sign is mounted on the left side of the structure.

A grey, concrete building with RIVIERA CENTRE in bold letters at the top. A large circular window is above three blue doors. The lower facade features dark brickwork. Some plants and bicycle racks are visible near the pavement in the foreground.

Conference & leisure centre, designed by Module 2 and built 1984-87. For a gold star, spot the disinterested boyfriend.

Stopford House, Stockport, 2025

A large, concrete brutalist building with many rectangular windows is shown on a cloudy day. The photo is taken from a low angle, highlighting the repetitive geometric design and textured façade of the structure.

A multi-storey concrete building with rows of identical rectangular windows, featuring a brutalist architectural style. The facade is textured and repetitive, with an open entrance area at the bottom centre. Some trees are partially visible at the edges.

A concrete building with two terraces covered in overgrown greenery and moss. The wall features vertical slits and rectangular vents. In front, a large yellow grit bin sits on wet brick paving under a cloudy, grey sky.

A tall, grey concrete building with vertical lines stands on a rainy day. A pine tree grows in a circular planter at the centre front. The building has narrow windows and a modern, brutalist architectural style. Trees and wet pavement are visible in the foreground.

A large, grey, concrete office building with many rows of small rectangular windows, surrounded by overgrown plants, bushes, and trees under a cloudy, grey sky. The foreground includes a paved walkway and neglected landscaping.

A weathered concrete wall with vertical narrow rectangular openings, resembling prison bars. The wall has dark stains along the top and bottom, with textured lines running vertically and horizontally. Some faint green moss grows near the base.

A downward concrete stairway with yellow-edged steps leads to a turquoise metal gate blocking access to a dimly lit, grimy subway. Wet patches and fallen leaves are on the steps; a round light fitting is mounted above the entrance.

Details of Petersgate House, Stockport, 2025

A modern building facade with a grid of square windows set in dark, speckled panels. There are six rows of windows, and a streetlamp is visible in the foreground centred near the lower part of the image.

A textured building façade features three large mesh panels with bold white “V” shapes. A streetlamp stands in front, casting a shadow. The pavement below is wet, and two small no parking signs are visible on the dark brick wall.

The curse of the streetlamp strikes again.

Baynard House, City of London, 2025

A building with 4 floors of continuous thin-framed aluminium windows, as well as vertical ribbed concrete between each floor. At the bottom, a series of metal horizontal vents and an entrance to an underground carpark.

The building was designed by William Holford incorporating a separation of pedestrians from streets, with a first-floor adjoining walkway along Queen Victoria Street that connects to Blackfriars station.
Baynard House, London – Wikipedia

Streets in the sky! Definitely one to go back to. It is, however, a nightmare to photograph, owing to the coach parking out front.

Exeter Switching Centre seen from Exeter Central railway station, 2021

A railway station platform with a metal footbridge overhead, a large concrete building in the background, and a white sign displaying the number 15 near the tracks. The station appears empty and the sky is overcast.

Photomator randomly opened to this photo I never posted, so I guess it’s fate.