Atlas of Brutalist Architecture: The New York Times Best Art Book of 2018

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The Ringway Centre, sweeping 230 metres along Birmingham’s inner ring road in one continuous curve, is a striking monument to the heroic age of the UK’s “motorway city”. It stands like a protective wall, its four floors of offices framed by horizontal bands of abstract concrete reliefs and slender vertical fins, punctuated by a staccato rhythm of Corbusian bullhorn lamps. The taut ribbon of offices projects out over the street, sheltering a long parade of shops, and leaps over a road supported on dramatic angled columns – compared by their architect, James Roberts, to “the massive feet of a Martian monster”. As well as housing many businesses and some of the city's best graffiti, it offers great shelter when waiting for the bus in the rain!" News about our Dezeen Awards programme, including entry deadlines and announcements. Plus occasional updates. Dezeen Events Guide News about our Dezeen Awards China programme, including entry deadlines and announcements. Plus occasional updates.

The book is made up of a collection of 22 articles written for The Birmingham Post by The Brutiful Action Group, founded by Birmingham residents Mary Keating, Jenny Marris and John Bell. Although there is an abundance of office spaces in central Birmingham, I think this building is just so visually striking. Another example of a spaceship-like building that transcends the traditions that came before it. The Rep is a timeless building. It feels exciting and brand new, which might be to do with the generous use of glass. The arched windows seem to echo the interiors of older Victorian theatres, which gives it that theatrical edge. Much-loved masterpieces in the UK and USA sit alongside lesser-known examples in Europe, Asia, Australia, and beyond - 102 countries in all, proving that Brutalism was, and continues to be, a truly international architectural phenomenon. But come here today and you won’t see much of it. The entire building is engulfed in a bright purple shroud, installed for the recent Commonwealth Games, concealing the modernist facade behind a lurid billboard of gyrating letter Bs. It is an apt reflection of the council’s attitude to its postwar heritage: as the world’s eyes were focused on Birmingham, it chose to hide one of its most important buildings. Beneath the jazzy wrapper, the structure lies empty and condemned. Although it is locally listed, plans were unveiled in July to raze the entire complex and build three huge glass towers in its place.Spaghetti Junction, the Ringway Centre, The Rotunda and Corporation Square all feature, alongside Brutalist buildings such Birmingham Repertory Theatre, the Ashley and Strathcona Buildings at Birmingham University, and Neville House on Harborne Road.

A beautifully designed book that gives Birmingham brutalism a distinctive identity that I hadn’t really appreciated until I saw it all together."

Over the journey you really begin to see the many regional variations in different parts of the world, such as the highly distinctive Spomeniks (Soviet memorials) scattered throughout so much of the former Eastern Bloc and Soviet Asia too, which really personify the idea of masculine architecture. Corporation Square (or The Square) is externally a 'no frills' type of building, but is great in terms of spatial design. It houses many small eateries, independent shops, an indoor market and a music venue called The Ballroom – previously named The Hummingbird and also The Carling Academy. Not only do they give us some history to hold on to, they are spaces that we can repurpose for future generations," she added. From a pedestrian's perspective, the graffiti-adorned space under Spaghetti Junction is almost tranquil, with bursts of greenery combatting the fumes from the cars overhead. It also offers shelter to the homeless community in the area who are often ushered out of other spaces. The underbelly of Spaghetti Junction is definitely an overlooked area." From 20th century masters to contemporary architects, much-loved masterpieces in the UK and USA sit alongside lesser-known examples in Europe, Asia, Australia, and beyond - 102 countries in all.

As Keating and I pace the streets, looking up at facades and peering down at details, the city centre unfolds as a patchwork of rare intrigue. We stop to admire the concertina frontage of House of Fraser, folded like sharply scored origami, and the undulating concrete canopy above a subway, punctured with cosmic circular lenses. We find handsome book-matched green slate panels over the entrance to Pandora, and fine mosaic-work above a Wagamama, next to an expressionist bronze relief over an unmarked door.

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Each essay was originally written for The Birmingham Post by The Brutiful Action Group, a collective of local residents who came together seven years ago to raise the profile of Birmingham's brutalist buildings as the city's Central Library was about to be demolished. Daily updates on the latest design and architecture vacancies advertised on Dezeen Jobs. Plus occasional news. Dezeen Jobs Weekly Presented in an oversized format with a specially bound case with three-dimensional finishes, 1000 beautiful duotone photographs throughout bring the graphic strength, emotional power, and compelling architectural presence of Brutalism to life.