In Sydney there is a brutalist apartment building that a developer wants to knock down and replace, but the residents are fighting this because the building is designed in a way that encourages community in the residents. There are big open common spaces that just isn't seen in modern architecture. It's really interesting.
That's an idea that's baked really hard into Le Corbusier's original concepts of Brutalism. One of the visions for the style was to develop entire housing complexes in the style--and then entire cities--that encouraged community and interaction. Some of the original plans for Brutalist complexes actually included split-level paths that ran between all of the buildings; with cars and parking being left sort of underground, while the spaces between the towers had wide, safely elevated, park-like walkways. There are also some really interesting modular apartment towers in France that employ a wide, sunny common corridor on each floor that's designed for social interaction.
@@crackedemerald4930 It's because Australian Governments are retarded. Another example is the headquarters of our Hydro Electric Company in Hobart. It was built by Hydro in the 80s with concrete designed to last hundreds of years. Recently the Government announced they wanted to knock it down to build a hotel or something. It's another building with large open spaces and the public consensus is it should be turned into an arts area inspired by MONA (it's a museum in Hobart, google it, it's seriously cool).
@@TypewriterPunch I'm really fascinated by the idea of brutalist architecture as a blank canvas for human expression: Bare concrete practically invites greenery, murals, graffiti...
there's a lot of information in this video without feeling crowded and structured in a very entertaining way that keeps your attention thanks simone i too have a new-found love for concrete now (this is genuinely good content tara)
@@Taurusus If your momma raised you right, she would have taught you to explicitly say when things are terrible so we don't create a welcoming atmosphere for bad ideas. At least that's how New York mothers raise us.
My school is probably from the brutalism style. I can confirm it is cold, always, or too hot. The thing is, the sound echos in a weird way. You are never sure where it's coming from. But in a way, it's beautiful
my pavement is like that too, cold when its cold hot when its summer, when someone steps on it weird sound echoes, I know someone is on the pavement but Im never sure where is the person coming from.
@@L16htW4rr10r it is. If a choir sang there, it would be hauntingly beautiful, but unfortunately, screams echo too. What is terrifying, is the underground bath. It's strange and dark and it twists, in a way. If you follow through the chained gates, you get to the archive storage. Which is next the bath?? for some reason?? It goes out the building, between the limits and the walls. Creepy stuff. But cool, too, I guess.
@@jbt-qu6lm there is a building from the same guy that would help you get the image better. One is FAU in USP. The architect is Villanova Artigas and he also made my school. Which looks pretty, I guess, but learning to navigate it was a trip and a half.
Having played Control already - when the camera stops moving at 0:07 "Its creepy" isn't the AT&T building. The creepy one is definitely the one on the left that was captured transforming from its Hiss shape.
I've been a fan of Brutalist buildings since I found out about them. I read Slaughterhouse 5 and wondered how they rebuilt Dresden and came across the style. I've thought they had a beauty to them because behind the hard exterior are often community areas and very humanistic floor planning. They have a creative substance of two very polarized sources, one is defensive and hard exteriors that look unwelcoming, but the other is the soft, connected nature of humanity lying underneath. Kind of like bones and flesh. They also represented the emotional state of the people who experienced war and who went on to build those buildings. Cool. Kind of seems like they're being forgotten about, but maybe not.
I'm such a huge fan of Brutalism and I love love love when Brutalist buildings are taken by nature, like Fallingwater or the Barbican conservatory. It's my favorite architecture school! I also feel like playing Control now :)
@@giualonso it's SO good. It got slightly tanked reviews on release cause - as you can see in the destruction and scale - it was VERY hard for the poor old consoles and PCs to run perfectly, in particular PS4 because Remedy had less experience with that console. It's been patched, it feels fun, the writing is always sharp and smart (i was a bit "hmm" at first cause it's quite pulpy at first and then I was like "oh, this is deliberate, they're after something specific, this is really good" lol), it's REALLY polygon (which I'm using as loving teasing to mean "there are a lot of women, there is a deliberate skew towards realistic and imperfect people, the lead has strong bi energy and some cracking power suits") and it's surprisingly funny. Sometimes hysterically funny, even as it plays along that edge of creepy beauty. It's so good!
Personally, Brutalism is my favorite architectural style of the 20th century. It’s bare, functional and imposing. It might also have to do with the fact that I am Eastern European
@@AdamTopCommenter It's the combination of both, nature alone can also look kind of boring and repetitive if there is no human made structure whatsoever
I recently fell in love with brutalism, and all of my friends just think I’m being weird, and it’s kind of isolating. But this video and the comment section is wonderfully comforting!
@@arnehurnik the art deco and steampunk don't fit each other as much. They're only slightly different in stylistic themes, so it can't even be played on that. The contrast between art deco and brutalism is obvious yet they both feel themselves comfortable with themes of space, industrial progress and opportunism if made correctly.
It's called The Oldest House because when they would call it "The Ugliest House," it would instantly spawn a horde of architecture majors to come kick everyone's ass
Yeah exactly. Good brutalism is sublime. It is awe inspiring in the same way a large mountain, canyon, or storm is. These things can be threatening and otherworldly, but also beautiful and awe inspiring. I always liked brutalism too, but I acknowledge I've seen it done badly where it looks more dreary and depressing instead of sublime.
i know simone has seen jacob geller’s video on control (and other games) but i highly recommend y’all watch it too!! also his other videos on brutalist architecture are really fascinating, dude makes GOOD STUFF
I can appreciate it’s aesthetic do a limited extent, but how many people desperate to seem contrarian to current opinion by doling on brutalists architecture would actually want to live or work in a brutalist building.
Yep a lot of those in poland too (depends where you go, we have some cool ones) But Ukraine has some beutiful buildings too, I've wanted to visit those, my school often has trips to Ukraine and I hope to see them myself!
I actually like brutalist architectures. I won’t like the proliferation of it, but it serves beautiful decorations. Here in Toronto we have the Robarts Library, which is a lovely building that I really enjoy.
Viktor the Creator sorry, I have to disagree on this one. Personally I don't see Morrison Hall in UTSG as a typical example of brutalist architecture, even medical science building would be a better case, and I still think Robarts is one of the best brutalist architecture in Toronto, in the whole North America even.
I've always loved brutalism because it gives me a very empty, post-apocalyptic vibe (which makes sense with its roots) and I love post-apocalypse storylines and art. This makes me so much more excited to play Control!
I live near the south bank in London and let me tell you, when that shit is draped in plants and moss and the sun hits all those lovely angles? *chefs kiss*
SCP is one of its greatest influences, but it still has enough world building that it doesn't feel just like a blatant rip-off. It's also probably my GOTY.
Control is its own thing, though. It's not "just SCP", it`'s more refined and planned, less edgy, and makes a lot more sense. The science and lore is also better designed. It's also significantly different. Sure, there's "yeah so we contain anomalous objects", but apart from that it's literally completely different.
Control is SCP (the real world writing project, not the in universe entity) given a budget and a vision, instead of just making miscellaneous creepy pastas and artifacts.
My college campus was entirely brutalist and had won some archetecture awards for it. Most of the students hated it but I really liked it. The play of light and shadow of the repeating structures looked cool and was fun to draw, especially with the contrast of the very fluid and organic trees that were all around. Red hard brick. Green soft trees.
also if you like donoteat1 you'll probably like Stupid City. they have an ep on brutalism too! they call it "civic thicc", which is the worst, and also the best
I love brutalisim when it is combined with greenery. I went to PCC for a while and there were all these nooks and crannies hidden around with so much wonderful plant life. I loved it there.
In my country, brutalist architecture has somewhat evolve and it’s still being used up to this day because of its economic factor, it’s well suited in our environment, practicality, the design has evolved from chunky concrete to slim one slapped with big windows, added some metal design to make it look modern and painted with nature colors, it lessens the authoritarian vibe here because we’re in a tropical climate. From malls, train stations, apartment complex, and schools just wait for a year and you’ll see it’s true brutalist form a concrete slab and i just adores it❤️
I love the recent surge of Brutalism appreciation and preservation. It's the modern equivalent of giant ancient monuments built by despots; simple in form, have inhuman scale, and built to last for eternity.
"Built by despots", yeah, the only difference is, even the architecture of barbarian tribes had standards of beauty adhering to classical proportions, Brutalism ist just a style of concrete blocks ugly and devoid of any beauty, the "beauty" people see in it is just the image they picture of dystopian future movies, and it looks "cool", i wouldn't like to live in a dystopian city just because of its culture idea of it being "cool"
@@hikeskool I haven't seen the movie but i completely agree, there are people in the comments saying we just think Brutalism looks dehumanizing because of the image capitalism made of it, but i remember when i was very young, looking at brutalist buildings in São Paulo and feeling so devoid of emotions, people saying they feel at home in these places and i just feel like i'm in a mechanical city either of concrete or glass There are things we find beautiful because they are ugly or depressing, like the "Desolation" painting by Thomas Cole, there is beauty in decadence, not that it should be endorsed or seen in the same way as the beauty of order and aestheticaly pleasing architecture like a cathedral, but i see its appeal, though it sucks to live in a city built by these modern beliefs on architecture
The whole brutalist/Soviet style is wonderful. The few places I've been in have on fact been looming & intimidating, but also efficient and not wasteful. No ripping apart a wall to plug a leaky pipe or replace a bad cable. And now I REALLY have to try Control shame but also fitting its currently exclusive to the loser's totalitarian platform.
Hell yes I love brutalism and functionalism. Here in Prague there are plenty beautiful brutalistic buildings but unfortunately lot of them are being taken down, like transgas. Since so many people consider it ugly conservationists didn't manage to save it.
Until I saw the thumbnail, I hadn't even realized that this architecture I had so much fun in was absolutely, obviously Brutalism - a style I thought killed fun on contact X) Also, I never appreciated how so many of Jesse's abilities are designed to disrupt the super-clean lines of the Oldest House, mirroring how she strains against the control of the Bureau and the Board. That's some dope interweaving of mechanics and narrative - thanks for helping me appreciate it!
I lived in one of the East London examples used in this video and it wasn't an uncaring architecture at all. The interior was well designed to provide as much space as possible - it was a huge flat, for London. It also felt solid and stalwart when Grenfell happened, and there was so much panic about living in compromised high rise blocks. Makes me sad that people don't see it that way.
ye et The whole rational, as even explained in this video and in many comments here, for Brutalist architecture was to produce a visceral reaction. It’s intended to be ugly and jarring, pretentious academics and other wannabes like to call that “art”. It’s not, however, beautiful.
@@frankySR21 Brutalism isn't supposed to be beautiful, it is supposed to be sublime: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sublime_(philosophy) There are a lot of pretentious things out there, but I genuinely don't think brutalism is pretentious. Good brutalist architecture can be awe inspiring like a large mountain or canyon.
My uni has a bunch of brutalist buildings on campus and they're so miserable I love them and their unloving, historically-protected-and-unable-to-be-updated wooden benches.
I’m an architecture student at Virginia Tech. This video was an absolute pleasure to watch and is a great introduction to brutalism. I like to think that the fantastical worlds of video games is what got me interested in architecture, and this video is a wonderful exploration of mixing the fictional world with our built environment. My all time favorite building is William Pereira’s “Geisel Library” in the University of California in San Diego.
In the UK there is a growing appreciation for Brutalist architecture. I live near a classic example, Cables Wynd, which is now a A listed building (signifies cultural significance). Same with a multistorey car park structure elsewhere in Edinburgh. People have really strong feelings about these buildings I've learned!
Came to Polygon for Brian. Stayed for... Brian. Now learning to appreciate all of the other stuff, too. All these small bits about niche and interesting stuff made by apparently good people. Polygon is a good new thing in my life. Thanks, Brian.
My ideal home/apartment/condo/whatever aesthetic is brutalist walls, floors, ceilings; super-warm and comfy furniture, colorful and vibrant, weird art. I LOVE the contrast; I've been designing my eventual, long-term home around this pairing forever.
@LagiNaLangAko23 i heard rumours before that the cia had this paranormal department of sorts that deals with such events and entities.. It was during the 90s if i remember correctly. Not sure how they fared to this era if they really existed, but that department might actually be housed in that building. It's as close as to the actual SCP foundation as we can get if it's for real.
There's a beautiful example of brutalist architecture down here in Sydney called the Sirius Building (or the concrete blocks). It's design is entirely function based to reduce noise from the Harbour bridge, yellow tinted windows to reduce glare. It was an affordable housing project.
Desmond's Journey in Assassin's Creed Revelations also had some really good architecture which made me appreciate concrete and the way light works with it.
Yeah! Honestly when I was playing through Desmond's Journey for the first time I detested the whole experience lmao, but coming back to it years later I really liked the visual atmosphere and environment.
I love the concrete look of Brutalism! The coloration and texture feels natural like stone and kinda calming. It just needs tons of nature and plants around and the look is complete! 😍 Also this game looks so creative and gorgeous! I love how interactive the environment is! Yum!
When you said it was inspiration for the oldest house I was like, how could any building be the inspiration for the oldest house the oldest house was the first one
i worked on an architecture tour in chicago, which has quite a bit of brutalism (55 w wacker drive, chicago was on our tour, seemingly out of place among prairie style and art deco, modern, postmodern, and beax-arts buildings). i've heard hundreds of different tours and i never knew any of this, this video gave me a new appreciation for these buildings and i honestly find myself liking them a lot more now
all the stations in the dc metro are brutalist and are honestly gorgeous. they're pretty clean and spacious, definitely compared to other subway systems. some even have cool murals or mosaics!
I love brutalism, it gives a sense of nostalgia and childhood wonder, I feel the need to explore these buildings, find their secrets, make them my own. I love them!
ive always found brutalist architecture comforting because of a difficult past where i spent a lot of time hanging out on school campuses after-hours as a kid (like, a LOT of time), and because slightly overgrown concrete corners are usually indicative of a place you can have to yourself for awhile- not many people are drawn to hang out in them for extended periods of time, which meant it was perfect for me to recharge my social meter without being bothered too often. to me, old brutalist architecture represents shelter that looks cold enough to not attract the masses but is simple and functional enough to shelter people who just need a break from said masses. plus, theres a sort of kinship with it- something about the way it still stands, undecorated and scarred, strong and unapologetic, is nice to me, as someone with trauma.
The University I study at is completely in the style of brutalism and actually stands under architectural protection to not be demolished and honestly, I really like it, its beautifully, brutally ugly
There's an university in Rio de Janeiro that is brutalist in so many wrong ways that it's famous for people jumping to their deaths from the tall windows. (It'c called UERJ if you want to check it out.)
@@giualonso that's funny, because my university is also "known" for people jumping of its roof to kill themselves, I guess that's brutalism for you :D (it's actually just a rumour started by an unreliable studie) The university is called Ruhr Universität Bochum (rub for short) if you want to check that out aswell
Out of the many beautiful buildings on my campus I ALWAYS had a class in this god awful brutalist building. Nothing against the architecture style but this building was impossible to navigate, had the most uncomfortably designed classrooms, was scattered with planters with nothing but ugly rocks in them??? And generally made me wish for death
I went to school in a brutalist building (part of Concordia University in Montreal), so I had the daily fun of going up and down 14 flights of escalators; but what really sealed the effect was that while I was there, many of the lighting fixtures were broken or malfunctioning, so several floors existed in a perpetual twilight. The building has been heavily renovated since then, fortunately, so while the outside is still pretty brutalist the interiors are far more welcoming (& brightly lit) than they used to be.
This video got me to play Control and it's now my absolute favorite game for a number of reasons; the story, writing, feeling of the combat and movement, and-of course-the environmental design.
the brutalism SLANDER it’s beautiful 😭 i’ve always wanted to live in a fully concrete flat with lightbulbs (yellow lights) hanging from black metal bars, and wooden tables & black leather couches
LISTEN CONCRETE AND BRUTALISM IS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!!!! HAVE YOU SEEN THE BARBICAN IN LONDON, THEY WAY THAT WAS BUILT (highly ineffective they chistled most of the walls to have a stone texture effect) SHOWS JUST WANT BEAUTY AND MAJESTY CAN BE MADE USING PRE-FABS!!!!!!
@@marcst3199 To each their own. The greenery is beautiful, and I like the balconies. But I just think it would have looked so much better if it weren't bare concrete, and if it had literally any sort of decorative architectural features
I've personally always loved brutalist architecture. It has an exciting energy to it that I can't get enough of. Brutalist buildings aren't just buildings, they're stories waiting to be told. They're so dramatic, so foreboding, so badass, it's impossible to be near one and not have some small amount of adrenaline start pumping. I think that's partially because of how inhospitable they are. They aren't comfy, but comfy is boring.
I'm currently studying brutalism and I had to do a double-take when I saw there was suddenly a polygon vid on the subject?? I was very confused for a bit because I didn't understand this was related to a game at first. Anyway brutalism is one of the most beautiful forms of architecture and it's not ugly! Also I really want to play Control now. I don't know anything about the game besides this video but I'm getting house of leaves if it were a brutalist building vibes
So in case you go via Metacritic or something, Control got slightly tanked in the reviews cause - as you might guess from the scale and destruction - at release it ran a bit terribly for people (particularly on PS4 where the devs where less familiar, I think) and they were very mad about it. It's been patched, and the knowledge and love for design is on a par with every other aspect - it's surprisingly funny, and just an extremely good time!
I FINALLY understand why I love the architecture in control so much. It’s not just brutalist, it has that sort of 60s, golden-age-of-science feel to it as well. The town that I grew up in was built almost exclusively in the 60s, so my schools and libraries and public buildings had similar aesthetics. There were even several almost brutalist buildings, and although I hated them as a kid, it felt so nostalgic to be playing such similar environments in control. It’s just felt like I’ve been there before throughout the entire game, and now I understand why!
It doesn't exist any more, but there was a building that went from a physical rehabilitation center to a church retreat, and was named the Living Enrichment Center (what a name). It was then shut down due to scandal in 2004 and was left abandoned until it was bought and torn down. I never had the chance to explore it while it was in use, but got to explore it a few times after it was abandoned. There's nothing stranger than exploring an abandoned Brutalist type structure because you get nature overgrowing in contrast to this giant concrete building. Especially since the only way to get to it (without getting caught) is to sneak in through a hole in a fence after going through a giant forest for a bit. It was super cool and I wish I had taken more photos the last few times I went. Luckily other people did, so if you google "Living Enrichment Center" pictures of it should come up!
There’s just something I love about brutalist, man. I feel like a lot of the aesthetic in Blade Runner is kinda brutalistic too. Also, the movie High Rise is all about a brutalist building and it’s weird and awesome and it stars Tom Hiddleston so you should def watch it. Also also, great job Simone, I loved this video and I really want to play Control now
@@videogamebomer Imagine thinking that brutalist buildings are to the environment what the holocaust was to human rights, yet not even considering the impact of capitalism on every single aspect of society that brings harm to the environment. You're a joke.
It's pretty fun once you get it in your hands. The combat is better than videos made it seem, especially when it gets chaotic. Lovely world, too. It's pretty impressive what they've managed so far.
![[#2024MAMA] ROSÉ (로제), Bruno Mars - APT. | Mnet 241122 방송](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/dgGqD28J6aQ/mqdefault.jpg)
SHOUT OUT YOUR FAVORITE BRUTALIST BUILDING (ﾉ☉ヮ⚆)ﾉ ⌒*:･ﾟ✧
Jerry! My favourite brutalist building is called Jerry.
Polygon balfron tower in london!! i was very happy to see it pop up in this video
has to be the barbican centre in london i'd love to live there
The Brunswick Center in London! It was down the road from my first year university halls and it's so oddly beautiful.
@@racg174 Ooh, the Barbican is a great choice.
In Sydney there is a brutalist apartment building that a developer wants to knock down and replace, but the residents are fighting this because the building is designed in a way that encourages community in the residents. There are big open common spaces that just isn't seen in modern architecture. It's really interesting.
Save our Sirius! ✊✊
Why would you replace it? It's already there and doing it's thing and all.
That's an idea that's baked really hard into Le Corbusier's original concepts of Brutalism. One of the visions for the style was to develop entire housing complexes in the style--and then entire cities--that encouraged community and interaction. Some of the original plans for Brutalist complexes actually included split-level paths that ran between all of the buildings; with cars and parking being left sort of underground, while the spaces between the towers had wide, safely elevated, park-like walkways. There are also some really interesting modular apartment towers in France that employ a wide, sunny common corridor on each floor that's designed for social interaction.
@@crackedemerald4930 It's because Australian Governments are retarded. Another example is the headquarters of our Hydro Electric Company in Hobart. It was built by Hydro in the 80s with concrete designed to last hundreds of years. Recently the Government announced they wanted to knock it down to build a hotel or something. It's another building with large open spaces and the public consensus is it should be turned into an arts area inspired by MONA (it's a museum in Hobart, google it, it's seriously cool).
@@TypewriterPunch I'm really fascinated by the idea of brutalist architecture as a blank canvas for human expression: Bare concrete practically invites greenery, murals, graffiti...
It took me a second to understand the oldest house was fictional
Alan Beltran seriously, what a strange transition
I thought the oldest house was a book until 5 minutes in
I know right? That was uber confusing
It took me 5 minutes
I was worried for the first half of the video..
the US government: finds a supernatural building called the Oldest House in the middle of NYC
the US government: "iT'S frEe REaL sTaTe"
its the same US goverment who saw probably at some point a dimension altering murderous plushie and was like "gimmie gimmie"
us gov: finds oil
us gov: “it’s free liberate”
@@tonoornottono
Remember:
Most wars started by superpowers are """"Defensive wars""""
European settlers land in America.
'Is anyone living here already?'
Indigenous ppl: 'yes.'
Euro settlers: 'Free real estate!'
😂😂😂🤣
i see a startling amount of concrete nerds in this comments section
And im gonna take out every single one like Death Note. Brutalism is ugly as hell
Come at me, I love my overwhelming concrete blocks
aka civil engineers?
I think you mean civil engineers
@@officialprozac THANK YOU for saying it
i love concrete. the taste may be off-putting for some but i just love the crunch
Forbidden candy
did not expect this to go where it went
More of a brick and mortar gal, myself
Hot bowl of grit in the morning
Sand with milk is a good breakfast.
there's a lot of information in this video without feeling crowded and structured in a very entertaining way that keeps your attention
thanks simone i too have a new-found love for concrete now
(this is genuinely good content tara)
thank you so much!
Polygon this is a good content. nice one
0:05 The Long Lines building isn't as ugly as that horrible Jenga-tower across the street.
Genuinely thought that's what she was about to talk about. That thing is... I'm gonna go with "eye-catching" cuz my momma raised me right.
Yeah that is straight garbage. Like engineering-wise it’s impressive. But we’re they high when they designed it?
@@Taurusus If your momma raised you right, she would have taught you to explicitly say when things are terrible so we don't create a welcoming atmosphere for bad ideas. At least that's how New York mothers raise us.
i think it's pretty cool?
I thought that building looked really cool. It at least made you look, didn't it?
If brutalism is adorned with some dark wood and plants, kept clean and undamaged it's actually really beautiful.
Manila Airport’s Terminal 1 has that. It has a wood ceiling instead of the usual concrete one but it still has its brutalist vibe.
Aroxar Oh my god I so wanna see this
timdella92 Wait what?!
@@timdella92 i had to look for a picture of that, absolutely beautiful
yup even in the game the oldest house looks absolutely gorgeous from the inside in some places.
*gets notification* “oh nice a polygon video”
*sees brutalism in the thumbnail* “OH HELLLL YEAAAAAH”
*sees “ugliest architecture” in the title* “oh no”
In my experience it's hard to find places where people don't hate brutalism, so this video is most welcome.
Polygon, thank you for not calling it cement -a humble concrete worker
My school is probably from the brutalism style. I can confirm it is cold, always, or too hot. The thing is, the sound echos in a weird way. You are never sure where it's coming from. But in a way, it's beautiful
That sounds weird and cool at the same time
my pavement is like that too, cold when its cold hot when its summer, when someone steps on it weird sound echoes, I know someone is on the pavement but Im never sure where is the person coming from.
@@L16htW4rr10r it is. If a choir sang there, it would be hauntingly beautiful, but unfortunately, screams echo too. What is terrifying, is the underground bath. It's strange and dark and it twists, in a way. If you follow through the chained gates, you get to the archive storage. Which is next the bath?? for some reason?? It goes out the building, between the limits and the walls. Creepy stuff. But cool, too, I guess.
Name of the building and/or pics?
@@jbt-qu6lm there is a building from the same guy that would help you get the image better. One is FAU in USP. The architect is Villanova Artigas and he also made my school. Which looks pretty, I guess, but learning to navigate it was a trip and a half.
Having played Control already - when the camera stops moving at 0:07 "Its creepy" isn't the AT&T building. The creepy one is definitely the one on the left that was captured transforming from its Hiss shape.
OH GOD, IT’S GOTTEN OUT, WE’RE ALL DEAD
I've been a fan of Brutalist buildings since I found out about them. I read Slaughterhouse 5 and wondered how they rebuilt Dresden and came across the style. I've thought they had a beauty to them because behind the hard exterior are often community areas and very humanistic floor planning. They have a creative substance of two very polarized sources, one is defensive and hard exteriors that look unwelcoming, but the other is the soft, connected nature of humanity lying underneath. Kind of like bones and flesh. They also represented the emotional state of the people who experienced war and who went on to build those buildings. Cool. Kind of seems like they're being forgotten about, but maybe not.
Very well said!
Informational video: exists
The people that are being interviewed: I will now render at 60p and nothing more
This comment is very underrated
Also 15 fps
Seems like a screen recording of a video call to me, not typically known for great bandwidth
Video calls to Romania and Bulgaria. Yez, good building. Very strong, like home land.
it's because they are using a webcam.webcam's have bad quality because they compress the image to send it to the cpu faster
I'm such a huge fan of Brutalism and I love love love when Brutalist buildings are taken by nature, like Fallingwater or the Barbican conservatory. It's my favorite architecture school! I also feel like playing Control now :)
Absolutely! I clicked for Simone and the brutalism and I'm definitely going to pick up this game
I don't think Fallingwater is classified as Brutalist.
5Detective oh my mistake! I’m not an expert, I just saw it in a post somewhere and didn’t question it :)
@@giualonso it's SO good. It got slightly tanked reviews on release cause - as you can see in the destruction and scale - it was VERY hard for the poor old consoles and PCs to run perfectly, in particular PS4 because Remedy had less experience with that console. It's been patched, it feels fun, the writing is always sharp and smart (i was a bit "hmm" at first cause it's quite pulpy at first and then I was like "oh, this is deliberate, they're after something specific, this is really good" lol), it's REALLY polygon (which I'm using as loving teasing to mean "there are a lot of women, there is a deliberate skew towards realistic and imperfect people, the lead has strong bi energy and some cracking power suits") and it's surprisingly funny. Sometimes hysterically funny, even as it plays along that edge of creepy beauty. It's so good!
@@giualonso No biggie. I have a degree in design and I still can't ID building styles accurately. Bad memory.
Personally, Brutalism is my favorite architectural style of the 20th century. It’s bare, functional and imposing. It might also have to do with the fact that I am Eastern European
Brutalism looks good, if combined with a lot of plants!
Brazil took this lesson quite nicely!
@@vitorsantis6356 except when the plants start growing *in* the concrete hehehe
Agree✌️
it's the plants that look good not the building
@@AdamTopCommenter It's the combination of both, nature alone can also look kind of boring and repetitive if there is no human made structure whatsoever
I recently fell in love with brutalism, and all of my friends just think I’m being weird, and it’s kind of isolating. But this video and the comment section is wonderfully comforting!
Brutalism is the best type of architecture, it looks old yet futuristic
Sergio Vazquez cyclopean
Art Deco >:c
Like the cybertruck
@@DarksiderDarmoset they kinda complement each other
I like both
@@arnehurnik the art deco and steampunk don't fit each other as much. They're only slightly different in stylistic themes, so it can't even be played on that.
The contrast between art deco and brutalism is obvious yet they both feel themselves comfortable with themes of space, industrial progress and opportunism if made correctly.
It's called The Oldest House because when they would call it "The Ugliest House," it would instantly spawn a horde of architecture majors to come kick everyone's ass
Is it ugly though? I think The Oldest House has an incredible aesthetic.
Can confirm, am an architecture student I'm already here with my T-square just in case
The oldest house feels like home.
hahahaha
@@dasgroea2217 it's called "æsthetic"
I find brutalism to be genuinely beautiful. I honestly don't understand what people hate about it. The aesthetic leaves me in awe.
Yeah exactly. Good brutalism is sublime. It is awe inspiring in the same way a large mountain, canyon, or storm is. These things can be threatening and otherworldly, but also beautiful and awe inspiring. I always liked brutalism too, but I acknowledge I've seen it done badly where it looks more dreary and depressing instead of sublime.
I feel the same as you!
i know simone has seen jacob geller’s video on control (and other games) but i highly recommend y’all watch it too!! also his other videos on brutalist architecture are really fascinating, dude makes GOOD STUFF
ok first of all brutalism is super good looking so jot that down
I can appreciate it’s aesthetic do a limited extent, but how many people desperate to seem contrarian to current opinion by doling on brutalists architecture would actually want to live or work in a brutalist building.
@@Miquelalalaa me bitch
I’m from Ukraine, here 90% of our cities is just brutal concrete jungles
Yep a lot of those in poland too (depends where you go, we have some cool ones) But Ukraine has some beutiful buildings too, I've wanted to visit those, my school often has trips to Ukraine and I hope to see them myself!
@@oliwiadykiel3362 Ukraine is the same as Poland but less cleaner streets and much more trashy roads)
@@oliwiadykiel3362 xxxv
Cool
i guess its more around 60% now
I actually like brutalist architectures. I won’t like the proliferation of it, but it serves beautiful decorations. Here in Toronto we have the Robarts Library, which is a lovely building that I really enjoy.
Toronto has a buncha it! I grew up in the west end and the old city hall in Etobicoke is all heavy brutalist and I loved it as a kid. It was so weird
I pass by it every day! When my dad was in university here, they called it “Fort Book”
If you're looking for U of T brutalism I think Morrison Hall is a better example. At least Robarts is a turkey
Viktor the Creator sorry, I have to disagree on this one. Personally I don't see Morrison Hall in UTSG as a typical example of brutalist architecture, even medical science building would be a better case, and I still think Robarts is one of the best brutalist architecture in Toronto, in the whole North America even.
Hey other torontonians what's good
"It's a video game."
- Simone de Rochefort, 2019
I've always loved brutalism because it gives me a very empty, post-apocalyptic vibe (which makes sense with its roots) and I love post-apocalypse storylines and art.
This makes me so much more excited to play Control!
DON'T BE MEAN TO BRUTALISM SIMONE IT'S MY BABY, IT'S NOT UGLY :(
Brutalism, in its entirety, is a hideous monument to concrete and oppression as a concept.
Brutalist Building:
Ｉ ＡＭ ＢＡＢＹ
Scott actually its good
@@Scott-ql2kx no u
@@Scott-ql2kx also literally the opposite but ok
I live near the south bank in London and let me tell you, when that shit is draped in plants and moss and the sun hits all those lovely angles? *chefs kiss*
Man this just sounds like scp
Control is basically SCP: the game.
SCP is one of its greatest influences, but it still has enough world building that it doesn't feel just like a blatant rip-off. It's also probably my GOTY.
YES I WAS JUST THINKING THAT
Control is its own thing, though. It's not "just SCP", it`'s more refined and planned, less edgy, and makes a lot more sense. The science and lore is also better designed.
It's also significantly different. Sure, there's "yeah so we contain anomalous objects", but apart from that it's literally completely different.
Control is SCP (the real world writing project, not the in universe entity) given a budget and a vision, instead of just making miscellaneous creepy pastas and artifacts.
Growing up playing Halo made me love Brutalism. It just makes me feel a certain way. It feels otherworldly just looking at pictures tbh.
0:32 *flash of red* "... aliens..." *first shot of Simone*
Subliminal messaging? 🤔👽
My introvert mind: look comfortable.
Everybody else: no one wants it
Win-win.
My college campus was entirely brutalist and had won some archetecture awards for it. Most of the students hated it but I really liked it. The play of light and shadow of the repeating structures looked cool and was fun to draw, especially with the contrast of the very fluid and organic trees that were all around. Red hard brick. Green soft trees.
What campus did you went to? Would love to see some pictures
if Polygon released an episode of Simon staring at us for 30 mns I will still like and share it, 10/10
well now you've made me actively want that
I would not mind Avery doing the same.
@@MildMisanthropeMaybeMassive same dude
The Oldest House, also known as The House in Ash Tree Lane
7:08 All you need to know about concrete in 4 seconds with Simone
1:56 none windows, left brut
"It's concrete! It's not supposed to do that!"
The donoteat Power, Politics, & Planning episodes on public housing talks about Brutalism if you want to hear more about it.
hell yes
Yesss donoteat01 is super well-informed and educational!
That's their channel's name???
@@L16htW4rr10r Yeah donoteat1 on youtube
also if you like donoteat1 you'll probably like Stupid City. they have an ep on brutalism too! they call it "civic thicc", which is the worst, and also the best
Love me some brutalism. Spent a lot of time just admiring rooms in control
I love brutalisim when it is combined with greenery. I went to PCC for a while and there were all these nooks and crannies hidden around with so much wonderful plant life. I loved it there.
In my country, brutalist architecture has somewhat evolve and it’s still being used up to this day because of its economic factor, it’s well suited in our environment, practicality, the design has evolved from chunky concrete to slim one slapped with big windows, added some metal design to make it look modern and painted with nature colors, it lessens the authoritarian vibe here because we’re in a tropical climate. From malls, train stations, apartment complex, and schools just wait for a year and you’ll see it’s true brutalist form a concrete slab and i just adores it❤️
What country?
I love the recent surge of Brutalism appreciation and preservation. It's the modern equivalent of giant ancient monuments built by despots; simple in form, have inhuman scale, and built to last for eternity.
brutalism is now hipster and it feels awesome
they literally dont last for eternity at all compared to any type of traditionalist architecture this is sci-fi pop culture rotting your brain.
"Built by despots", yeah, the only difference is, even the architecture of barbarian tribes had standards of beauty adhering to classical proportions, Brutalism ist just a style of concrete blocks ugly and devoid of any beauty, the "beauty" people see in it is just the image they picture of dystopian future movies, and it looks "cool", i wouldn't like to live in a dystopian city just because of its culture idea of it being "cool"
@@hikeskool I haven't seen the movie but i completely agree, there are people in the comments saying we just think Brutalism looks dehumanizing because of the image capitalism made of it, but i remember when i was very young, looking at brutalist buildings in São Paulo and feeling so devoid of emotions, people saying they feel at home in these places and i just feel like i'm in a mechanical city either of concrete or glass
There are things we find beautiful because they are ugly or depressing, like the "Desolation" painting by Thomas Cole, there is beauty in decadence, not that it should be endorsed or seen in the same way as the beauty of order and aestheticaly pleasing architecture like a cathedral, but i see its appeal, though it sucks to live in a city built by these modern beliefs on architecture
Beatle Mania They typically become damp and mouldy. Built to last forever? Tell me another...
The whole brutalist/Soviet style is wonderful. The few places I've been in have on fact been looming & intimidating, but also efficient and not wasteful.
No ripping apart a wall to plug a leaky pipe or replace a bad cable.
And now I REALLY have to try Control shame but also fitting its currently exclusive to the loser's totalitarian platform.
Hell yes I love brutalism and functionalism. Here in Prague there are plenty beautiful brutalistic buildings but unfortunately lot of them are being taken down, like transgas. Since so many people consider it ugly conservationists didn't manage to save it.
Until I saw the thumbnail, I hadn't even realized that this architecture I had so much fun in was absolutely, obviously Brutalism - a style I thought killed fun on contact X) Also, I never appreciated how so many of Jesse's abilities are designed to disrupt the super-clean lines of the Oldest House, mirroring how she strains against the control of the Bureau and the Board. That's some dope interweaving of mechanics and narrative - thanks for helping me appreciate it!
"What if I delivered it like I had a perso-fucking-nality."
I lived in one of the East London examples used in this video and it wasn't an uncaring architecture at all. The interior was well designed to provide as much space as possible - it was a huge flat, for London.
It also felt solid and stalwart when Grenfell happened, and there was so much panic about living in compromised high rise blocks.
Makes me sad that people don't see it that way.
Pffff, I love the post-episode clips of the narrators of Polygon just goofing around. It's so humanizing.
I wonder if this was inspired by the book "House Of Leaves" at all.
It was
Brutalism gets a bad rep, it's actually quite pretty imo
It is not.
@@Ninjaananas subjective
@@Ninjaananas It can be.
ye et The whole rational, as even explained in this video and in many comments here, for Brutalist architecture was to produce a visceral reaction. It’s intended to be ugly and jarring, pretentious academics and other wannabes like to call that “art”. It’s not, however, beautiful.
@@frankySR21 Brutalism isn't supposed to be beautiful, it is supposed to be sublime: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sublime_(philosophy)
There are a lot of pretentious things out there, but I genuinely don't think brutalism is pretentious. Good brutalist architecture can be awe inspiring like a large mountain or canyon.
We architects love brutal architecture Yo. Glory be to the monolith!
VeryUnemployed this makes me laugh, I had an entire section on how architects love brutalist but it got cut!!
I don't, it looks ugly exteriorly.
I keep coming back to this - its genuinely one of my favourite Polygon videos
My uni has a bunch of brutalist buildings on campus and they're so miserable I love them and their unloving, historically-protected-and-unable-to-be-updated wooden benches.
I’m an architecture student at Virginia Tech. This video was an absolute pleasure to watch and is a great introduction to brutalism.
I like to think that the fantastical worlds of video games is what got me interested in architecture, and this video is a wonderful exploration of mixing the fictional world with our built environment.
My all time favorite building is William Pereira’s “Geisel Library” in the University of California in San Diego.
brutalism looks crazy, i love it.
In the UK there is a growing appreciation for Brutalist architecture. I live near a classic example, Cables Wynd, which is now a A listed building (signifies cultural significance). Same with a multistorey car park structure elsewhere in Edinburgh. People have really strong feelings about these buildings I've learned!
"Control taught me that beautiful architecture is beautiful."
Came to Polygon for Brian. Stayed for... Brian. Now learning to appreciate all of the other stuff, too. All these small bits about niche and interesting stuff made by apparently good people. Polygon is a good new thing in my life. Thanks, Brian.
Titanpointe...
It's the "e" at the end of the word is what disturbs me the most. Even more than the actual architecture itself.
Le titan en pointe
its just sophisticatione
My ideal home/apartment/condo/whatever aesthetic is brutalist walls, floors, ceilings; super-warm and comfy furniture, colorful and vibrant, weird art. I LOVE the contrast; I've been designing my eventual, long-term home around this pairing forever.
"aliens or when your refrigerator eats your child..."
Yep. Sounds like the SCP Foundation to me.
@LagiNaLangAko23 i heard rumours before that the cia had this paranormal department of sorts that deals with such events and entities.. It was during the 90s if i remember correctly. Not sure how they fared to this era if they really existed, but that department might actually be housed in that building. It's as close as to the actual SCP foundation as we can get if it's for real.
There's a beautiful example of brutalist architecture down here in Sydney called the Sirius Building (or the concrete blocks). It's design is entirely function based to reduce noise from the Harbour bridge, yellow tinted windows to reduce glare. It was an affordable housing project.
brutalism good
trains good
Onions good
rent control good
I have found my people in this comments section
special good
I wrote a university assignment on brutalist architecture, and well, it's always nice to be validated by Simone!
Desmond's Journey in Assassin's Creed Revelations also had some really good architecture which made me appreciate concrete and the way light works with it.
Yeah! Honestly when I was playing through Desmond's Journey for the first time I detested the whole experience lmao, but coming back to it years later I really liked the visual atmosphere and environment.
I love the concrete look of Brutalism! The coloration and texture feels natural like stone and kinda calming. It just needs tons of nature and plants around and the look is complete! 😍
Also this game looks so creative and gorgeous! I love how interactive the environment is! Yum!
When you said it was inspiration for the oldest house I was like, how could any building be the inspiration for the oldest house the oldest house was the first one
i worked on an architecture tour in chicago, which has quite a bit of brutalism (55 w wacker drive, chicago was on our tour, seemingly out of place among prairie style and art deco, modern, postmodern, and beax-arts buildings). i've heard hundreds of different tours and i never knew any of this, this video gave me a new appreciation for these buildings and i honestly find myself liking them a lot more now
I'm really loving this episode of 99% Polygon.
Edit: I clearly posted this too early.
The Barbican estate has to be the most beautiful and iconic example of Brutalist architecture by far.
I love brutalism! Though I don't think "ugly" describes it, I'm always down for more positivity around the style! :) #SOSBrutalism
all the stations in the dc metro are brutalist and are honestly gorgeous. they're pretty clean and spacious, definitely compared to other subway systems. some even have cool murals or mosaics!
I love brutalism and I will protect it with my life
I love brutalism almost as much as I love u!!
(I'm really excited to stream your new album!)
@@nicktaylor1902 ♥️
I love brutalism, it gives a sense of nostalgia and childhood wonder, I feel the need to explore these buildings, find their secrets, make them my own. I love them!
1:11 S/o to Robarts Library. Brutalist architecture and soul-crushing stacks
ive always found brutalist architecture comforting because of a difficult past where i spent a lot of time hanging out on school campuses after-hours as a kid (like, a LOT of time), and because slightly overgrown concrete corners are usually indicative of a place you can have to yourself for awhile- not many people are drawn to hang out in them for extended periods of time, which meant it was perfect for me to recharge my social meter without being bothered too often.
to me, old brutalist architecture represents shelter that looks cold enough to not attract the masses but is simple and functional enough to shelter people who just need a break from said masses. plus, theres a sort of kinship with it- something about the way it still stands, undecorated and scarred, strong and unapologetic, is nice to me, as someone with trauma.
The University I study at is completely in the style of brutalism and actually stands under architectural protection to not be demolished and honestly, I really like it, its beautifully, brutally ugly
There's an university in Rio de Janeiro that is brutalist in so many wrong ways that it's famous for people jumping to their deaths from the tall windows. (It'c called UERJ if you want to check it out.)
@@giualonso that's funny, because my university is also "known" for people jumping of its roof to kill themselves, I guess that's brutalism for you :D (it's actually just a rumour started by an unreliable studie)
The university is called Ruhr Universität Bochum (rub for short) if you want to check that out aswell
@@DavidFlowers777 Oh, I'll check it out for sure! Thanks for sharing!
Out of the many beautiful buildings on my campus I ALWAYS had a class in this god awful brutalist building. Nothing against the architecture style but this building was impossible to navigate, had the most uncomfortably designed classrooms, was scattered with planters with nothing but ugly rocks in them??? And generally made me wish for death
Mine too, germany has a number of these
I went to school in a brutalist building (part of Concordia University in Montreal), so I had the daily fun of going up and down 14 flights of escalators; but what really sealed the effect was that while I was there, many of the lighting fixtures were broken or malfunctioning, so several floors existed in a perpetual twilight. The building has been heavily renovated since then, fortunately, so while the outside is still pretty brutalist the interiors are far more welcoming (& brightly lit) than they used to be.
I love brutalist architecture!! They’re perfect for functional building like hospitals and government buildings
This video got me to play Control and it's now my absolute favorite game for a number of reasons; the story, writing, feeling of the combat and movement, and-of course-the environmental design.
the brutalism SLANDER it’s beautiful 😭
i’ve always wanted to live in a fully concrete flat with lightbulbs (yellow lights) hanging from black metal bars, and wooden tables & black leather couches
Do you want to get depressed? Living in a place like that hurts the soul.
The etymology for the french brut is raw or rough, so I'd say the definition of brutal being punishingly hard or uncomfortable is still fitting.
LISTEN CONCRETE AND BRUTALISM IS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!!!! HAVE YOU SEEN THE BARBICAN IN LONDON, THEY WAY THAT WAS BUILT (highly ineffective they chistled most of the walls to have a stone texture effect) SHOWS JUST WANT BEAUTY AND MAJESTY CAN BE MADE USING PRE-FABS!!!!!!
a crazy fangirl it's also just a wonderful place in general
Just looked it up and I have to say, that hideous hulk may be the ugliest building I have ever seen. Brutalism was a mistake.
The Seddon house is beautiful
@@marcst3199 To each their own. The greenery is beautiful, and I like the balconies. But I just think it would have looked so much better if it weren't bare concrete, and if it had literally any sort of decorative architectural features
I have been to most of the buildings featured in this video and couldn't be happier they're getting the love the deserve
“None Windows”
I've personally always loved brutalist architecture. It has an exciting energy to it that I can't get enough of. Brutalist buildings aren't just buildings, they're stories waiting to be told. They're so dramatic, so foreboding, so badass, it's impossible to be near one and not have some small amount of adrenaline start pumping.
I think that's partially because of how inhospitable they are. They aren't comfy, but comfy is boring.
I'm currently studying brutalism and I had to do a double-take when I saw there was suddenly a polygon vid on the subject?? I was very confused for a bit because I didn't understand this was related to a game at first. Anyway brutalism is one of the most beautiful forms of architecture and it's not ugly! Also I really want to play Control now. I don't know anything about the game besides this video but I'm getting house of leaves if it were a brutalist building vibes
So in case you go via Metacritic or something, Control got slightly tanked in the reviews cause - as you might guess from the scale and destruction - at release it ran a bit terribly for people (particularly on PS4 where the devs where less familiar, I think) and they were very mad about it. It's been patched, and the knowledge and love for design is on a par with every other aspect - it's surprisingly funny, and just an extremely good time!
You should also play naissancee! Most brutalist and in addition unsettling game I have played - also free
I FINALLY understand why I love the architecture in control so much. It’s not just brutalist, it has that sort of 60s, golden-age-of-science feel to it as well. The town that I grew up in was built almost exclusively in the 60s, so my schools and libraries and public buildings had similar aesthetics. There were even several almost brutalist buildings, and although I hated them as a kid, it felt so nostalgic to be playing such similar environments in control. It’s just felt like I’ve been there before throughout the entire game, and now I understand why!
what is up with brutalism? those buildings gonna rise out of the ground and smash me with their huge concrete fist
It doesn't exist any more, but there was a building that went from a physical rehabilitation center to a church retreat, and was named the Living Enrichment Center (what a name). It was then shut down due to scandal in 2004 and was left abandoned until it was bought and torn down. I never had the chance to explore it while it was in use, but got to explore it a few times after it was abandoned.
There's nothing stranger than exploring an abandoned Brutalist type structure because you get nature overgrowing in contrast to this giant concrete building. Especially since the only way to get to it (without getting caught) is to sneak in through a hole in a fence after going through a giant forest for a bit. It was super cool and I wish I had taken more photos the last few times I went. Luckily other people did, so if you google "Living Enrichment Center" pictures of it should come up!
There’s just something I love about brutalist, man. I feel like a lot of the aesthetic in Blade Runner is kinda brutalistic too. Also, the movie High Rise is all about a brutalist building and it’s weird and awesome and it stars Tom Hiddleston so you should def watch it. Also also, great job Simone, I loved this video and I really want to play Control now
The AT+T Long Lines building is one of my favorites! Brutalism is great. I also love the blend of brutalism and futurism in the Seuss Library at UCSD.
Watching Simone nerd out about a videogame she likes? Hell yeah
Watching Simone nerd out about brutalist architecture? HELL YEAH
"the Frog/Hawk"
[all in 1 combo]
***Condominium - Services - Clinic - Library - Post Office - Theater - Temple - Technical School - Warehouse/Storage - Greenhouse - Bus Terminal - Public Swimming Pool***
Brutalist buildings might not be brutal by definition, but sure as hell are for the environment.
I mean, not like it's worse for the environment than capitalism
@@jbt-qu6lm Thats like going to a holocaust museum to complain about human rigths abuse in Ukraine
@@videogamebomer Imagine thinking that brutalist buildings are to the environment what the holocaust was to human rights, yet not even considering the impact of capitalism on every single aspect of society that brings harm to the environment. You're a joke.
A polygon video talking about my favourite architecture movement?? What god smiled at me and let this crossover happen???????
Polygon is really giving Control a lot of love 😂
It's pretty fun once you get it in your hands. The combat is better than videos made it seem, especially when it gets chaotic. Lovely world, too. It's pretty impressive what they've managed so far.