The Alexandra Road Estate winds alongside Camden’s railway line, a swooping swish of striking architecture and intricate design that reflects Brutalism’s utopian vision. Richard Seifart wielded unmatched influence over the London skyline – but not everyone loves the results. Take Centre Point as an example – unveiled in 1966, it was one of the tallest buildings in London… and one of its most hated. The organisation’s headquarters houses an ancient library with original 17th century oak panels from the College’s previous location, a marble portrait gallery and a concrete and glass ceremonial hall. The entrance cantilevers out dramatically, and the exterior is a masterful combination of curves and lines. The building is grade I listed. We took far too many photos than anyone could possibly need, and of too many buildings to list them all. So, instead, and with reluctance, I am going to whittle it down to some of our favourite modernist and brutalist structures from that period. Perfect for a walking tour or framing, this map is printed on Cyclus Offset 140 gsm, measures 420mm x 600mm (slightly larger than A2) open and folds down to 210mm x 150mm (slightly larger than A5). The map is protected by a wide band.

Intended to provide solutions to the city’s housing problem, the Brutalist movement was strongly guided by socialist ideology. Its buildings focus on communal areas, and seek to provide equal units of space to its users. Many of Brutalism’s leading architects, including Erno Goldfinger and Alison and Peter Smithson, believed they were creating revolutionary urban utopias. If you want to find out more about some of the buildings featured above, some good starting points include the following; For fans all all things concrete comes this map of London’s most famous Brutalist buildings. Created by Blue Crow Media (see also their craft beer and cycling maps, it is the first in a new series of map-based guides to London architecture, focusing on the modern 1950s/60s “raw” concrete-heavy designs by Le Corbusier and others of the post-war architectural phase. The original London premises of The Economist magazine were bombed during World War II and so the publishers took the opportunity to consolidate their various remaining offices into one single location. The Economist remained in the property until 2017 when it relocated to another place near The Strand. The complex was acquired by a new developer and is currently being renovated. The wife and husband architect team of Alison and Peter Smithson were considered pioneers of the British brutalism movement that took off during the second half of the twentieth century and the complex is now named after them. The brutalist Barbican Estate is located in the City of London Square Mile and we’d recommend you arrive via Barbican Tube station.Although presented as ideal for walking tours, Brutalist London is dispersed enough to make the treks between buildings daunting for even the avid urban explorer’ Over the years, the movement has provoked strong reactions and arguments. Recently, a bid to grant listing status to the Brutalist Robin Hood Gardens estate in east London failed and the local MP called for it to be "brought down ASAP". National Theatre – photograph by Simon Phipps As such, things like lift shafts, ventilation ducts, staircases – even boiler rooms, were integrated into the fabric of the building in ways that celebrated them as distinct features rather than hidden away.

The Development of Tourism Act, 1969 recognised the significance of inbound tourism to London and other parts of the British Isles as an important source of revenue. One of the consequences of the new legislation was the construction of several mega-structure hotels in central London, which were in keeping with the style of the day but not necessarily their historical surroundings. The Park Tower Hotel, which is encircled by the finery of Knightsbridge (including Harrods) is one such example. The St Giles Hotel just off Tottenham Court Road and the InterContinental London Park Lane on Hyde Park Corner would also fall into the same category. Perfect for a walking tour or framing, this map measures slightly larger than A2 open, folds to slightly larger than A5 and is protected by a wide band. All of our printed publications are printed in East Sussex on quality recycled paper. News about our Dezeen Awards programme, including entry deadlines and announcements. Plus occasional updates. Dezeen Events Guide

Originally the London headquarters of the French bank, Crédit Lyonnais, which was acquired by Crédit Agricole in 2003. The building was revamped by Delvendahl Martin Architects between March 2015 and September 2016. By doing away with, to some extent, the Brutalist’s straight edges and hard lines, One Kemble Street makes itself into a fine example of the brash, brutalist architecture of the 60s – one that shows little care for the buildings around it but stakes a big claim to its landscape. It’s been allowed to decay a little over the years but one pro of building with concrete is that it’s not decayed much. In 2022 Seaforth Land was contracted to repair and refurbish the structure which is expected to be made into fancy offices, and possibly a retail centre. Minories was a former civil parish during medieval times. The name is derived from the late 13th century Abbey of the Minoresses of St. Clare without Aldgate, a monastery for Franciscan nuns living an enclosed (separate from the outside world) existence.

You will also notice I have said whether the building is question is listed or not. In brief, if a structure is listed in Britain it means it is protected by Historic England (officially the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England), a non-departmental government body tasked with protecting ancient monuments as well as historic buildings, memorials, parks and gardens etc. There is, of course, a process to go through but once something is listed, it cannot be demolished, extended or tampered with without permission from the relevant authority. In the first instance, this is normally the local council but if a building is of significant historic interest any request will be sent up the ladder to the relevant central government agency. There are three grades; I, II* and II, with Grade I being the most important. As a general rule, buildings have to be more than 30 years old to be listed so, as time goes by, more brutalist and post-war modern buildings are being given either grade II*, or more commonly grade II status. In the 1980s, the emergence of Deconstructivism brought an end to the movement, though it continued to live on in popular culture, as noted buildings became locations for BBC spy dramas, movies with a Cold War theme, and contemporary British dramas including the film Beautiful Thing (1996) and the TV series Misfits (2009-2013). Alison and Peter Smithson are believed to have been the first architects to adoptthe term Brutalism – deriving from the French term for raw concrete béton brut used by Le Corbusier in the late 1940s. Brutalist architecture first came about in the 1950s post war, emerging from the earlier modernist movement at the turn of the century.The tower stood partially empty for the first decade after completion, and was highly criticised by housing activists, who saw its empty office floors as an insult to the many homeless people in London. In 2010 Conran and Partners was commissioned to update the building and convert office spaces to residential units; nearly 100 apartments were modernised and a series of communal amenities were added, such as a pool and a private clubhouse with treatment rooms. The Spirit of Brotherhood” (bottom right), completed in 1958 by sculptor Bernard Meadows, sits above the building’s main entrance and symbolises the spirit of trade unionism with the weak being looked after by the strong. Brutalist London Map is researched and written by Henrietta Billings, with the support of the 20th Century Society, and includes photography by Simon Phipps.