Concrete Cocoons

The architectural movement known as Brutalism originated in Europe after World War II, when the reconstruction of demolished cities necessitated fast, cheap housing development on one of the largest scales in the history of architecture. The expression was first coined for a small brick residence built in Sweden in 1949, but the movement didn’t solidify until 1966, when the famed British architecture critic Reyner Banham published The New Brutalism: Ethic or Aesthetic? The term “brutalism” is a reference to the use of raw concrete (béton brut in French) and is applied mostly to large-scale institutional buildings. Perhaps the most iconic edifice of this movement is the Cité Radieuse (Unité d’Habitation) in Marseille,  built in 1952 by Le Corbusier — an architect previously known for his small-scale residential work. The Cité Radieuse is a large public housing development elevated from the ground, with an art center (formerly a sports facility) on the roof….