#SOSBrutalism comes to New Haven

A traveling exhibition from Frankfurt’s German Architecture Museum (DAM) is coming to the Yale School of Architecture Gallery this fall with a selection from the first-ever global survey of Brutalist architecture between 1950 and 1979.

Taken from the website sosbrutalism.com’s 2,180-entry archive, "SOS BRUTALISM—Save the Concrete Monsters!" is arranged into 11 different geographical regions and 7 thematic chapters. A special focus on Brutalist architecture in and around New Haven County has been added for the American audience. Significant examples from Le Corbusier, the term's originators Alison and Peter Smithson, and Yale School of Art and Architecture building designer Paul Rudolph will dot the exhibition, supplemented by large-scale models and 3D printed miniatures, which should prove to be of particular fascination.

Yale says: "This expressive style emerged during a post-war period marked by experimentation and societal upheaval. It came to represent a heroic image of institutions, both existing and newly founded in regions that had recently gained independence from Colonialism. It is also exceptionally photogenic and, in recent years, has reached cult status on social media. That said, many people still only see these buildings as ugly concrete monsters and many face the risk of demolition or have already been lost. Considering this, #SOSBrutalism was started as a campaign to connect initiatives with the goal of preserving Brutalist buildings worldwide."

The exhibition opened to the public on August 25th and will remain on view until December 10th. This is a great way to explore the architectural history of the region and examine a list of works that still factors greatly in the fabric of international design. More information about the exhibition can be found here.