Brutalism isn’t just about hulking façades and raw concrete shells. Step inside and another world reveals itself; geometry and light collide, concrete feels equally monumental as unexpectedly intimate. These spaces are the territories explored in Brutalist Interiors, a fine new release from London publisher, Blue Crow Media, and their first to chart the interior life of this divisive movement on a global scale.
Documenting more than 100 spaces across 30 countries, the book brings together sacred sites, civic monuments, residential projects, and contemporary reinterpretations of Brutalist design. Featuring new and rarely seen photography from the likes of Iwan Baan, Roberto Conte, Leonardo Finotti, Stefano Perego, Simon Phipps and more, this global survey presents concrete interiors at their most sculptural, dramatic and surprising.
Edited by Derek Lamberton — with essays contributed by leading historians and critics including Blake Gopnik, Naomi Pollock, Felix Torkar, Ewan Harrison, Gili Merin, Ljubica Slavković, Deane Madsen and Rixt Woudstra — the book captures both the material beauty and cultural resonance of these often inaccessible interiors. Case studies span from Tadao Ando’s serene Japanese spaces and the monumental Washington, DC Metro, to Denys Lasdun’s work in Ghana and Moshe Safdie’s iconic Habitat 67 in Montreal. Interiors from across Europe, Asia, North and South America are also represented, reflecting Brutalism’s lasting global influence.
Beyond documentation, Brutalist Interiors interrogates the spatial and ideological dimensions of concrete architecture, considering how Brutalism’s uncompromising materiality has been used to produce interiors that are rigorous yet expressive, functional yet deeply atmospheric. The essays provide context on how Brutalist design continues to shape contemporary architectural practice and provoke debate around ethics, preservation and aesthetics.
Continuing Blue Crow Media’s reputation for exquisite design-led publishing, the book combines large-format photography, crisp typography and high-quality production. As much a visual record as a critical resource, it will appeal to architects, designers, students and anyone with an appreciation for the raw poetry of concrete.
Brutalist Interiors is available now from bluecrowmedia.com priced at £35, and internationally via selected bookshops and design retailers.
