Omaha MidCentury Modern

September 13, 2006

Modern: Brutalism

Courtyard of the Market Place in Downtown Council Bluffs

 Brutalism is an architectural style that spawned from the modernist architectural movement and which flourished from the 1950s to the 1970s. The early style was largely inspired by the work of Swiss architect, Le Corbusier (in particular his Unité d’Habitation building) and of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. The term originates from the French béton brut, or "raw concrete". Brutalist buildings are usually formed with striking blockish, geometric, and repetitive shapes, and often revealing the textures of the wooden forms used to shape the material, which is normally rough, unadorned poured concrete. source; Wikipedia

 The expample shown here is of the Omaha Public Library, downtown branch. The ‘moat’ and long narrow windows of the library give it a fortress or prison like feel.

                         

 Omaha even used Brutalism in parking garage construction such as the Douglas Park. The curving walls, pylon tower, empty flag pole and even limestone panels between floors are just a few of the design elements used on this structure.

Douglas Park

 Editors note; I think this form or architecture is least understood and generally disliked by the public which includes myself.

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