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Raw concrete structure, hulking massiveness, and sometimes waffle facades are telltale characteristics of Brutalist architecture. These are landmark buildings of downtown Louisville.
Only an exploring photographer, I am not an architect. To the architects out there, I understand that not all concrete reinforced buildings are Brutalist architecture; and that Brutalism is from a specific time frame and a specific architectural philosophy. I recognize that there are a mind-boggling number of "isms" to modern architecture. Way more than I can handle. That concrete building over there could be Critical Regionalism, another could be Structuralism, Metabolism, Post Modernism, or Whateverism. But let me have this– if it roughly looks like a duck and roughly quacks like a duck, well, I would like to refer to this style with my fellow laymen as a duck without having to research each building's history and what its architects stated it was. Upon seeing it, I need to use a familiar term that other common folk can also conjure up because they saw the Oscar-winning movie, The Brutalist.
Tags: Brutal architecture architecture Jefferson County Brutalist Kentucky Louisville Brutalism United States
Three aluminum ventilation chute fingers point to the sky.
For Compositionally Challenged Week 9: Minimalist
Tags: University of Louisville Health Center Brutal architecture architecture Jefferson County Brutalist Kentucky Louisville Brutalism United States minimalist Compositionally Challenged CC Week 9 sky
Designed by Hartstern, Louis & Henry architectural firm, the David K. Karem building was erected in 1965. This building, with a raw concrete facade that houses the Waterfront Development Corporation, is one of many examples of late modern Brutalism-inspired architecture in Louisville, Kentucky. After looking around for it, I realized that River City is a haven for brutalist-inspired architecture.
Only an exploring photographer, I am not an architect. To the architects out there, I understand that not all concrete reinforced buildings are Brutalist architecture; and that Brutalism is from a specific time frame that has passed on and a specific architectural philosophy. I recognize that there are a mind-boggling number of "isms" to modern architecture. That concrete building could be Critical Regionalism, another could be Structuralism, or Metabolism. But let me have this– if it roughly looks like a duck and roughly quacks like a duck, well, I would like to refer to this style with my fellow laymen as a duck without having to research each building's history and what its architects stated it was. Upon seeing it, I want to use a familiar term that other common folks can conjure up because they saw the movie.
Tags: David K Karem building building Brutalist Ohio River b&w photography Brutal architecture architecture Jefferson County Waterfront Development Corporation Kentucky Louisville Brutalism United States waterfront
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