The brutiful trio describe it as “a hint of Le Corbusier in Birmingham”, its low-rise facades of white Portland stone, punctured by vertical slit windows, framing a courtyard oasis. But in 2020 the council approved plans by developer Hammerson to flatten the whole thing and replace it with a mixed-use “signature gateway” development – another galumphing commercial quarter of could-be-anywhere filler by Glenn Howells. News about our Dezeen Awards China programme, including entry deadlines and announcements. Plus occasional updates.

If you’re part of the increasingly large ranks of brutalism fans, or interested in late 20th-century architecture and society in general, Brutalist Britain is the book for you. New York Times Best Art Book of 2018 - "Newcomers will discover the global influence of brutalism, that final age of civic architectural ambition; true believers can use it to prepare years of concrete-coated vacations."— The New York TimesWhen viewed from one of the top floors in the adjacent buildings, however, you can appreciate the magnitude of Tricorn House. It looks like it could take off any moment with flames trailing behind it." This is the only book to thoroughly document the world's finest examples of Brutalist architecture."— Architectural Digest Online Shines a light on this much-maligned architecture... An ambitious attempt to give brutalism a much wider scope and time frame, featuring almost 900 masterpieces from more than 100 countries."— Daily Telegraph, Property

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. I hope the book presents a case for Birmingham's architecture and our brutalist history, and that it is a step forward in convincing the powers that be to think about how people benefit from the buildings and structures we already have, and how we can make these work," Sutton continued. Daily updates on the latest design and architecture vacancies advertised on Dezeen Jobs. Plus occasional news. Dezeen Jobs WeeklyAlthough not a definitive catalogue of all the major Brutalist creations in the world, this vast tome certainly gives it a decent shot. Though the omission of Sir Basil Spence’s Beehive in Wellington, NZ, which houses the parliament, seems like a bizarre oversight/omission. Although I got a bit of a treat at the many structures I had never set eyes on before, particularly the likes of The Freeway Park in Seattle, Vaillancourt Fountain, San Francisco, Milwaukee County War Memorial. And that was just within the continental US. Some of Birmingham’s lesser-known post-war churches are also featured, including St. Thomas More Church in Sheldon, St. Matthews Church Perry Beeches, and Our Lady Help of Christians in Tile Cross. Elain Harwood is a historian with Historic England, and author of Space Hope and Brutalism, England’s Post-War Listed Buildings and Art Deco Britain. She gives lectures and leads tours for the C20 Society, and has published Chamberlin, Powell and Bon in association with them, HE and the RIBA, and 100 Buildings/Houses/Churches/Landscapes, 100Years in association with Batsford. She lives in London. 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. Although it is woefully under-maintained, the building has details that need to be observed to be appreciated – such as the repetitive relief tiles that fill the face of the building and are contrasted by rows of smooth glass.