‘brutalist interiors’ explores hidden life behind concrete facades across the globe

Brutalist Interiors: Concrete Spaces Around the World

Behind the stark facades of concrete landmarks lies a world of interior spaces that are seldom seen yet deeply influential. The Brutalist Interiors book, edited by Derek Lamberton and published by Blue Crow Media, uncovers these hidden environments — civic halls, sacred structures, social housing complexes, and private dwellings — through a global survey of architecture that captures the material intensity and sculptural clarity at the heart of Brutalism.

Moving beyond the exterior, the book presents a richly documented narrative of Brutalist interiors, spanning Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. The volume combines new photography with original essays to reveal how these spaces continue to embody both aesthetic precision and ideological ambition. Civic projects in Ghana, meditative concrete forms in Japan, and Montreal’s iconic Habitat 67 are among the featured examples, each documented with rigour and care.

Barbican | image by Max Colson – all images courtesy of Blue Crow Media

Essays and Photography in Dialogue

Contributions from architectural writers and historians — including Blake Gopnik, Naomi Pollock, Deane Madsen, Gili Merin, Felix Torkar, and others — examine the ethical, social, and political conditions that shaped Brutalist design. Their essays offer a nuanced perspective on how interiors reflect the cultural ambitions of their time, while photographs by Iwan Baan, Roberto Conte, Stefano Perego, Leonardo Finotti, and Simon Phipps capture their austere beauty and formal dynamism.

Published by independent publisher Blue Crow Media, the book combines over 100 photographs with seven essays and a foreword, Brutalist Interiors functions as both a visual archive and a critical reflection, offering readers a rare opportunity to engage with the interiors that define some of the most significant Brutalist works.

Faculty of Philosophy Novi Sad | image by Relja

Shui Cultural Center | image by west-line studio

Johannes XXIII Church

Cafeteria Saarland Mensa Canteen

Housden House

Pedro Reyes House | image by Reyes Fernandez

Jaú Bus Station | image by Nelson Kon

Temple of Monte Grisa

Basilica Cathedral of Our Lady of Altagracia

Sheats Goldstein | image by Jason Woods

Hauts-de-Seine Prefecture | image by Laurent Kronental

project info: 

name: Brutalist Interiors
editor: Derek Lamberton 
publisher: Blue Crow Media | @bluecrowmaps

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