It is easy to look at this building, a perfect example of Brutalistic architecture, and see something ugly. It is harsh and rough and imposing and yet, or maybe because of that, I find something hugely appealing about it. It is unapologetic, function over form, and that grittiness feels powerful and strong to me. Brutalist architecture flourished in post war London with the need for rebuilding and more housing. Many of those buildings are now in a poor state and in recent years some have vanished to replaced by more ‘modern’ buildings but there is a growing movement dedicated to preserving to some of them as iconic buildings that are a part of the architectural history of the city.
