People associate the term Brutalism with concrete and, in the UK, with the Welfare State – just one thin slice of the Brutalist canon. Brutalism is not a style. It reveals enduring architectural ideas and interests that have emerged at different times and in different places, prompted by social and political ideals and technological conditions.

Richly illustrated with unique, high-quality photographs, this book explores Brutalism through the lens of twelve distinct, occasionally competing, definitions, as a living and evolving entity. Redefining Brutalism offers insight into how these buildings were designed and constructed, their underlying social contexts, and how Brutalism triggered various other movements such as High-tech and Postmodernism. This book is a lens through which to see the present as much as the past.