rewind.
Brutalism is an architectural style that emphasises the literal expression of materials, rejecting traditional ideals of photographic beauty in favour of overt structural clarity. It is distinctly uncompromising and devoid of ornamentation, resulting in rough shapes with asymmetrical proportions composed of modern materials such as concrete, steel, glass, and brick. The movement holds particular historical significance in Coventry, although the city’s use of the style aligns more closely with what is known as New Brutalism.
Interestingly, New Brutalism neither replaced nor developed directly from any so-called ‘original’ Brutalism, as the latter concept does not genuinely exist and is used primarily out of linguistic necessity. The term New Brutalism was coined before the style theoretically or materially existed. It was later strategically adopted by pioneering architects Alison and Peter Smithson, after the fact, with its primary distinction from the imagined ‘original’ Brutalism being its foundation in a deliberate philosophical position.
As outlined in the Smithsons’ seminal essay Ordinariness and Light, New Brutalism employed the broader brutalist style to advance environmentalism and egalitarianism through the efficient use of space. This approach sought to prevent urban sprawl and provide cost-effective, mass-built housing. For these reasons, the architectural style became especially popular among British socialists, whose influence dominated Coventry’s local politics in the 1950s and 1960s, the period when most of the city’s brutalist buildings were constructed. Thus, the use of Brutalism as a vehicle for a political philosophy aligns precisely with its application in Coventry.
Take, for example, Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre, which opened in the late 1950s and has been identified as a reflection of the political orientation of the area’s Labour councillors. The theatre was built using materials freely supplied by Yugoslavia and bears a strong resemblance to brutalist architecture found beyond the Iron Curtain, reflecting the influence of several local councillors who had visited Eastern Europe. Arthur Ling, the city architect at the time (though not the sole designer), made significant alterations from the original plans and was a committed public-facing communist. In this respect, the Belgrade Theatre stands as a prominent example of Coventry’s Brutalism embodying the socialist ideals of its proponents.
Coventry Cathedral also features many brutalist elements, notably its structural clarity and material honesty. The city suffered extensive bombing during the Second World War, which destroyed much of the original perpendicular design. The surviving exterior walls, tower, and spire were incorporated into Basil Spence’s winning design for the cathedral’s post-war reconstruction. The new cathedral’s pale-grey concrete interior and its high canopy connecting two circular chapels were conceived with cost-efficiency in mind. The building played a key role in the ‘reinvigoration of architectural design’ across Britain after the war, as reconstruction became a priority for governments throughout Europe.
The devastating bombing campaigns led to an urgent need for housing, both in Britain and across Europe. This demand necessitated large-scale developments prioritising quantity, quality, and affordability. Few architectural styles could be erected in sufficient volume while maintaining acceptable living standards as effectively as Brutalism. Consequently, brutalist housing blocks sprang up across Britain, especially in heavily bombed cities like Coventry. Notable examples include the now largely demolished Spon End estate and developments off Butts Road.
Despite its often-polarising reputation, Brutalism – or more specifically New Brutalism – has a fascinating history in Coventry. Emerging as a physical manifestation of the city’s socialist political orientation, it dominated post-war reconstruction and gave rise to a divisive yet uniquely identifiable brutalist aesthetic that continues to shape Coventry’s contemporary built landscape.
Bibliography:
Banham, Reyner, The New Brutalism (London: The Architectural Press, 1966)
Banham, Reyner, ‘The New Brutalism’, October, 136 (2011), 19-28
Clement, Alexander, Brutalism: Post-War British Architecture, 2nd edn (Ramsbury: Crowood Press, 2011)
Fair, Alistair, ‘“A New Image of the Living Theatre”: The Genesis and Design of the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, 1948–58’, Architectural History, 54 (2011), 347–382
Großmann, Till, and Nielsen, Philipp, ‘Introduction’, in Architecture, Democracy, and Emotions: The Politics of Feeling since 1945, ed. by Till Großmann and Philipp Nielsen (London: Routledge, 2018), pp. 1-17
Shoshan, Liat Ben-Savin, ‘Images, Films, and Emotions in Postwar Architecture in Britain’, in Architecture, Democracy, and Emotions: The Politics of Feeling since 1945, ed. by Till Großmann and Philipp Nielsen (London: Routledge, 2018), pp. 104-123
Smithson, Alison, and Peter Smithson, Ordinariness and Light: Urban Theories 1952–1960 and Their Application in a Building Project 1963–1970 (London: Faber, 1970)