Brutalism is ugly. There are no beautiful brutalist buildings though there are plenty of interesting ones. It’s like the joke about how everyone in central Paris wants to work in the Tour Montparnasse because then you can’t see the Tour Montparnasse.
Not true. Their starkness and utilitarianism is beautiful, in the eye of the right beholder - and I am one such beholder. I think brutalist architecture is beautiful as it’s bold in its intent, honest in its functional form (it has thingness), and speaks of dreams of the future. I look at a well-executed brutalist structure and get a shiver down my spine - it’s not the thing itself, but what it represents.
Brutalism has a deep beauty, that ramifies intricately as you examine it further, in the thought and process that went into this triumph of function.
Much of what we describe as beauty is no more than skin deep - a veneer of curves and shine, under which lurks incredible ugliness in both function and intent.
> I look at a well-executed brutalist structure and get a shiver down my spine
Well, yes, well-executed things tend to imbue some value or ideal. The vast majority of humans are exposed to extremely poor brutalism that is simply oppressive.
I don't like the truck, but I strongly disagree with the idea that no brutalist building can be beautiful. The library at UC San Diego is one prime example.
Brutalist buildings are also way more practical than say Victorian ones. Same goes for this car - it won’t win the beauty contest but should hopefully be a lot more practical for those living in rural areas
Brutalist buildings don’t work. Smaller objects may work.
Source: I worked in a brutalist building for several years. It literally stood in as a prison in movies: terrible every day environment.
The truck is such a slap in the face to the standard car aesthetic. It’s jarring because it feels different and causes dissonance with what I know cars are allowed to look like. Some people will hate it purely because of that knee jerk reaction.
I’m not sure I like the look but I really like how iconoclastic it is.