noun
- Plural of brutalism; architectural or artistic styles characterized by massive, blocky forms, raw concrete, and stark, imposing designs.
- Plural of brutalism; philosophical or ethical positions that endorse harsh, uncompromising, or severe approaches.
Usage: Primarily used in art history and architecture contexts; Often refers to the mid-20th-century architectural movement
Usage: Less common usage; found in philosophical discourse
Examples
- The city's downtown features several striking brutalisms from the 1960s and 1970s.
- Architects debated whether brutalisms represented progress or an eyesore.
- The museum's brutalist concrete structure exemplifies the brutalisms of postwar design.
- Many cities are reconsidering their brutalisms as preservation versus demolition debates intensify.
- The brutalist movement produced some of the most controversial brutalisms in modern architecture.