Subdude Posted August 15, 2005 Share Posted August 15, 2005 Occasionally the Chronicle actually has an article about local archtecture. I'm not a huge fan of brutalism, but both the Alley and the HISD building are nice examples. Aug. 13, 2005, 7:35PMBrutalism's tough sell Undervalued style, HISD building fading fast By SCOT BROOKS Ever met someone you didn't care for at first, but before you know it, you're friends? Brutalism can be like that. You probably don't know much about this architectural style, but you know you hate it. It came and went in a 1960s flash, leaving behind only a handful of examples marked by exposed construction, asymmetry, and large-scale detailing. The term is the unfortunate kind that spawns bumper stickers (''Brutal buildings suck''). But it gets at something confrontational in the style, which is an acquired taste. I'm one of the people who loves it. Getting to know Brutalism isn't easy. There are only a few great Brutalist buildings in the world, and not many more average ones. If you bunched them all together, you'd have maybe enough to make a small town. Several are in Houston. BRUTAL IS BEAUTIFUL: Designed by Neuhaus & Taylor in 1969, the HISD Central Administration Building is slated for demolition. Photo circa 1970. Bert Brandt, photographer. From the book Houston: The Once and Future City by George Fuermann. Link to the article Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YakuzaIce Posted August 15, 2005 Share Posted August 15, 2005 My taste for brutalism comes and goes. But on the whole I tend to like it. Outside of known brutalist buildings, there are two buildings off the southwest freeway right next to each other that are around five stories. I am pretty sure they are brutalist, they are corrupted by atrocious signage. (both banks) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted August 15, 2005 Author Share Posted August 15, 2005 Another good local example is the old Houston Post, now Houston Chronicle building at 59 and West Loop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N8TIV Posted August 15, 2005 Share Posted August 15, 2005 Don't forget the Galleria Building - Neimans? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaphod Posted September 9, 2005 Share Posted September 9, 2005 The HISD school district HQ building aka Taj-Mahal by the folks who work in it, is really cruddy if you go inside of it. I went in their a few times for various things and everytime, you have to walk down the asmatic's endless hallway of doom(ie the employee smoking area) to come to this area where there are floors and steps covered in water from the water damage,and the ceiling tiles tell all. Brutalist buildings are cool, too bad many of them are shoddily built public buildings at things like housing projects which suck terribly anyways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jm1fd Posted September 9, 2005 Share Posted September 9, 2005 Another good local example is the old Houston Post, now Houston Chronicle building at 59 and West Loop.<{POST_SNAPBACK}>As I drove by the barnacle offices today I wondered to myself if it qualified as brutalism....guess so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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