#brutalism — Modernist Delights

Anderston Centre, rear, Glasgow, 2025

A partially abandoned, multi-storey car park with exposed brickwork, overgrown weeds, and graffiti. The car park is next to modern buildings, with a few cars parked below and a “no entry” sign at the entrance. The scene is quiet and urban.

A multi-storey, concrete car park with graffiti on its walls sits alongside modern high-rise buildings. Several parked cars fill the car park. The older, weathered structure contrasts sharply with the new, sleek residential towers in the background.

Anderston Centre, Glasgow, 2025

A silver car waits at a corner by a modern urban alleyway. Tall buildings with glass, brick, and concrete façades line the narrow street. Overhead, a raised walkway spans between buildings. Blue sky and clouds are visible above the scene.

Multi-storey, modernist buildings made of concrete and brick stand under a blue sky. A tall residential tower rises in the background, while a lower building with large windows and metal fences/shutters runs alongside a raised walkway in the foreground.

A zigzag-shaped staircase with metal cladding and glass panels juts out from a modern building facade. The structure casts a shadow on the white wall below. Surrounding buildings feature glass windows, dark bricks, and a blue sky overhead.

A brutalist-style concrete building with large rectangular windows, vertical ribbed panels, and weathered dark surfaces. The lower level has yellow brickwork and small square windows. Reflections of another building can be seen in some windows.

A narrow urban street flanked by modern and older concrete buildings. Several parked cars line the left side. In the centre, a low concrete structure stands on a worn pavement. The sky is mostly clear, and the overall scene appears quiet and empty.

A bright sun flares over the rooftop of a brutalist concrete building. The ramp leads up between dark, weathered structures. A tall white residential block is visible in the background against a blue sky with scattered clouds.

A modern multi-storey car park entrance with a sign reading Cadogan Square Car Park. Surrounding the building are tall offices, greenery, and a ramp for vehicles. Orange traffic cones and caution stripes block the entrance. The sky is partly cloudy.

Bourdon Building, Glasgow School of Art, 2025

A steep street with parked cars leads uphill past a modern, concrete building. Pedestrians walk by the THIRD EYE BAR sign on the left. A yellow Diversion sign and scaffolding are on the right. The sky is partly cloudy.

A modern building with large windows and concrete columns, some painted yellow and green. Bicycles are parked against the wall, and a white SUV and a red car are parked on the street in front. The sky is overcast.

Building plans as well as fantastic illustrations by Nebo Peklo are available on the Glasgow City Heritage Trust website.

McIver House / 1 Cadogan Square, Anderston Centre, Glasgow, 2025

A concrete building with a Brutalist architectural style, featuring rectangular grid-like windows framed by thick concrete supports. The upper floors have evenly spaced windows, whilst the lower level has larger glass panels. Blue sky with clouds above.

High Chelmer Car Park, Chelmsford, 2025

A large, multi-storey concrete car park with a “market” sign on the side. Colourful murals and bikes are near the entrance; trees frame the image. The sky is clear and blue, casting shadows on the building.

A low-angle view of a concrete building with repetitive square grid-like openings and balconies. The sky above is clear and blue, with leafy tree branches partially visible at the top right corner. Shadows from the trees fall across the building.

A multi-storey concrete car park with geometric, grid-like openings stands above a street-level market, which has a white awning and colourful market signage. The sky is clear and blue, with sunlight casting shadows on the building façade.

Ridgefield House, Manchester, 2025

A low-angle view of two connected buildings: one grey with square windows and many air conditioning units attached, the other taller, red-brick with a glass and metal staircase running along its side. A green tree is visible on the left edge against a cloudy sky.

24-36 High Street, Manchester, 2025

A group of people walk past a large, grey, multi-storey building with many windows and graffiti along its lower level. The weather is overcast, and the building appears old and worn, with a red brick structure on the left and street signs visible.

A tall, rectangular brutalist building with dark and light concrete sections stands under a partly cloudy sky. The lower facade is covered in graffiti. A blurred yellow tram passes in the foreground. Other modern buildings are visible to the sides.

A cityscape view shows a blocky, modernist grey building with many windows. Surrounding it are older brick and contemporary buildings. The nearest wall at street level features colourful graffiti. The scene is cloudy with sparse traffic on the roads.

24-36 High Street is a poorly (sic) quality example of utilitarian Brutalist Architecture.
Manchester City Council planning report

Don’t hold back! Today’s rabbit hole is courtesy of Reddit user 3ssar, who commented:

Saw Lana Del Rey’s first ever UK show in (under) there, among others. Always stunk as a venue and had pillars in the middle, blocking the view of the stage

Lana Del Rey’s first UK show! They should be putting a blue plaque on it, not demolishing it in favour of 361 apartments with commercial space on the ground floor 💔

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.