Playful brutalism at Vitra

At the Vitra Design Museum, Assemble and Simon Terrill recreate Brutalist playgrounds as hybrid architectural installations and sculptures for adults and children.

The Brutalist Playground, installation view at RIBA, London, 2015. Photo: Tristan Fewings, © RIBA

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Brutalist architecture is a controversial movement that originated in Britain shortly after World War II, bringing rise to expressive structures made of raw materials with an uncompromisingly rugged aesthetic. Throughout the country, preeminent architects erected large residential complexes, primarily in concrete, some of which featured unconventional play designs.

For this exhibition the architectural collective Assemble (winner of the 2015 Turner Prize) and artist Simon Terrill have used archival material from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) to recreate now demolished “Brutalist” playgrounds in hybrid architectural installations and walk-through sculptures for adults and children.

The Brutalist, installation view at S1 Artspace, Sheffield, 2016. Photo: Alun Bull, © RIBA

The interactive presentation of “The Brutalist Playground” allows visitors to explore the original spatial concepts of this architectural style. In the exhibition, children can let their imaginations run wild, as architects once advocated, and adults are likewise invited to immerse themselves in the surrealistic playscapes of the post-war era and experience a new, unmitigated view of Brutalist architecture.