Brutalist Architecture

Brutalism at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in Texas. I'm unsure of the purpose of the tower. It appears to be a sign, but look how small the logos are. I'm sure it's almost completely tornado-proof but its aesthetic blandness overwhelms.

This entry echoes my previous entry regarding mid-century modern design. For any artistic movement, there are good examples and poor examples, but some trends are inferior on the balance, and I'm not a fan of much post-war architecture. I would include Brutalism in the list.

I traveled by air recently and there is practically no place better than an airport to see Brutalist architecture. To a certain extent, Brutalism is a necessary outcome of efficient use of concrete. Yet it also seems to have been selected for use in some locations. I don't feel any attraction to it, and I don't understand its widespread use.

Unfortunately, like mid-century modern, Brutalism has become a favorite of the hipsters in the Millennial and post-Millennial (Generation Z) demographics. I personally think this is fashionable nostalgia for eras in which they didn't live, because otherwise it's inexplicable. The movement is aptly named. Brutalism is ugly. It brutalizes the senses.