Wallpaper 7

Photography: © Beeldhouwers

Once the inely sculpted symbols of hope and the architectural

avant-garde in a troubled post-war world, brutalist towers have,

over the years, generated two distinct camps: for some, they are

beloved icons gracing the pages of architecture books the world

over and, for others, justly neglected behemoths, the reminders

of shifting public tastes and misjudged modernist experiments.

Now some are being rebooted and given new life. Renewed interest

in the structures’ architectural heritage, robust construction and

strong visual potential have prompted a wave of savvy renovations

from eagle-eyed developers who wish to save – and capitalise on –

the towers’ dramatic shapes. From Brussels to London, we explore

what’s coming up in this new age of brutalism.

HARD

RETURN

WRITER: SISKA LYSSENS

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