Exhibition at the DAM: SOS Brutalism. Save the Concrete Monsters!

The DAM in Frankfurt is presenting the first-ever museum exhibition to give a global overview of Brutalist architecture from 1953 to 1979. The title “SOS Brutalism” refers to the threat hanging over this architectural legacy.


Here on Livegreenblog, we blogged about how brutalist architecture is enjoying a huge revival, at least on the web and in publishing. On the other hand, in real life, how this architecture is handled is a completely different story.
The DAM in Frankfurt is coming to the defence of these so-called “concrete monsters” referenced in the title of the exhibition “SOS Brutalism. Save the Concrete Monsters!”, which opened on 9 November and is running until 2 April 2018. A cry for help that hasn't just been made by chance, since some 108 of the 1000+ buildings around the world that are attributable to the Brutalist movement are under the direct threat of demolition. The term Brutalism is often misinterpreted to refer to their "brutal" construction, when in fact it is named after the particular use of reinforced concrete (béton brut) that you can find in works such as the apartment buildings by Le Corbusier.
Visitors to the exhibition at the DAM get the chance to explore Brutalist architect in detail, ordered by region because you can find examples built between the 1950s and the 1970s all over the world - from Africa to Japan, from Brazil to Australia. 
The way the DAM showcases some of this iconic architecture is also very interesting, with unusually large-scale models and cast concrete miniatures, including Le Vele di Scampia by Franz di Salvo (link article), all of which give visitors a clearer understanding of the structures and logic behind these buildings. These are exceptionally photogenic landmarks, as you can see in the publications and in the array of photos you can find on social media with the #SOSBrutalism hashtag. 
The exhibition organised by the DAM in Frankfurt together with the Wüstenrot Foundation links to www.SOSBrutalism.org that lists all the buildings by region. The goal of this global show of Brutalist buildings is to give people the chance to study and learn about them and to launch appeals to protect them, not just as landmarks but by highlighting their function and design concept.

Christiane Bürklein

Exhibition: “SOS Brutalism. Save the Concrete Monsters!”
from 9 November 2017 to 2 April 2018
at the DAM – Deutsches Architekturmuseum Frankfurt, Germany
Curator: Oliver Elser
Images: see captions
Find out more: http://www.dam-online.de/
www.sosbrutalism.org