Brutalism

The Isothermal Spherical Laboratories are among Berlin's best-kept secrets if you value the sculptural potential of unfinished concrete and wish to see a singular piece of Cold War history.

Raw Concrete & Cold War Science: Exploring the Isothermal Spherical Laboratories in Berlin

Berlin (category)
5 min read
20/07/202606/08/2026

There is one building on Gottschedstraße that will stop architecture lovers in their tracks as they walk around Berlin-Wedding. On a street corner, there is a concrete volume that looks like a stack of interlocking cubes. Bold, expressive, and strikingly textured, it carries all the hallmark features of mid-century concrete brutalist architecture. This is the famous Rotaprint Eckturm.

Accidental Brutalism in Berlin: The Raw Charm of the Rotaprint Eckturm

Berlin (category)
8 min read
15/07/202628/07/2026

Lodged in the London Borough of Camden, the Alexandra Road Estate, also known as Rowley Way, is a remarkable example of post-war architectural ambition. This housing complex, designed by Neave Brown, offers a unique glimpse into the social and architectural landscape of 1970s London.

A Visit to the Alexandra Road Estate: A Brutalist Marvel in London

London (category)
6 min read
02/04/202503/04/2025

The Szczecin Philharmonic is the main reason why Szczecin appeared under my radar. The building is so magnificent and beautiful that it won numerous architectural awards when it was open to the public, back in 2014. One of these awards was the Architectural Design of the Year at Eurobuild Awards 2014.

Architectural Travel around Europe: Our Favorite Architecture around the Continent

Europe (category), Tips and Tricks (category)
17 min read
07/12/202228/10/2024

The Igreja do Sagrado Coração de Jesus, known in English as the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, is a gorgeous brutalist church in Lisbon. This beautiful-looking church was built in the 1960s and is categorized as a national monument today.

Igreja do Sagrado Coração de Jesus: A Brutalist Church in Lisbon

Lisbon (category), Portugal (category)
6 min read
19/04/202227/04/2024

An American filmmaker based in Berlin, Nathan Eddy, has documented the efforts to preserve the Mäusebunker in a movie called Battleship Berlin. This 40-minute long movie shows the efforts to save the building and the point of view of those who want to tear it down.

Battleship Berlin: Director Nathan Eddy documents the demolition threat on the brutalist Mäusebunker

Berlin (category)
4 min read
30/10/202127/04/2024

For ten days in October 2021, the brutalist concrete structure known as the International Congress Centre Berlin was open to the public as a unique experience of film, performance and art. We visited the ICC Berlin on the first few days of The Sun Machine is Coming Down, a celebration of the 70th anniversary of Berliner Festspiele.

The Sun Machine is Coming Down to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Berliner Festspiele at the ICC Berlin

Berlin (category)
6 min read
18/10/202109/10/2025

Fotostrasse's Guide To Brutalism In Berlin is a simple and easy way to explore the beauty of concrete in the German capital. From the weird shaped Bierpinsel in Steglitz to the battleship style construction of the Mäusebunker in Lichterfelde, Berlin has some of the best examples of Brutalism architecture in Europe; here guide you through some of the places.

Brutalism in Berlin: A Concrete Architecture Guide

Berlin (category), Germany (category)
9 min read
03/06/202129/07/2026

The Western City Gate, also known as Genex Tower or Kula Geneks in Serbian, is a massive skyscraper in Belgrade and can be seen from all around town. The 35 storeys tall building is an icon of architectural brutalism with its two connected towers and even a revolving restaurant that feels like a crown over everything.

Western City Gate in Belgrade: Documenting an icon of Brutalism in Serbia

Belgrade (category)
6 min read
31/03/202112/03/2025

The Central Animal Laboratory of the Freie Universität is one of the best examples of Brutalist architecture in Berlin, and we visited the building at the end of December 2016 to see this strange looking building in the middle of Lichterfelde. It took us a while to find it, but once you see it, there is no way of ignoring it based on its monstrous appearance and the contrast with the area surrounding it.

Mäusebunker: The Monstrous Building Berlin Tried to Forget

Berlin (category)
5 min read
25/06/201715/02/2025