u/Space-play

I'm an enthusiast of brutalist buildings across the UK.

There are loads of great examples across Scotland, especially in Glasgow, but one my of favourite buildings is the Netherdale Main Stand, one of the most architecturally significant football structures in the country.

Designed by Peter Womersley and completed in 1964, the Netherdale Main Stand has a Category A listing, the same protection level as Edinburgh Castle. The cantilevered roof, the slender concrete supports, the repeating bays, it holds together in a way that most modern stadiums simply don't.

I've been making small cast concrete models of Scottish Brutalist architecture and recently finished one of the Netherdale stand. Capturing the deep overhang and the silhouette at small scale was genuinely difficult, but worth it.

I was curious to know if anyone here stood under that roof on match day? And what do you think is the most underrated piece of football architecture in Scotland?

Designed by Chamberlin, Powell and Bon and completed in 1970, is one of the most distinctive Brutalist teaching complexes in Britain.

With its interlocking lecture theatres, dramatic stair towers, and sculptural forms, it has become an unmistakable landmark of the Leeds campus.

Is this the best brutalist building on a UK campus?

Designed by Denys Lasdun and completed in 1976, London's National Theatre is a vast composition of terraces, towers, and layered concrete planes. Both monumental and intimate, it has become one of the defining works of British Brutalism.

Winner of architectural awards, and also polls for most hated buildings. I'm interested to know which side people are on?

I know that architecture is about buildings, but there something so cool about seeing the old original models of projects from the 1960s/1970s. With the models there's this weird sense that the architectural process is more connected to art rather than construction. The building feels more like an object that's been crafted. And the smaller scale gives you a wider and more obvious sense of the intentions behind the design. But I am a sucker for physical model making so I'm probably biased.

Whilst researching to find the original design proposal of the University of Glasgow Library building from 1968, I came across this amazing image. It has a puirty and quality to it that, for me, evokes the egalitarian ethos of Modernism. Pure geometry, rationality, and a design hierachy that says "I'm for everyone, not just the rich and powerful". I love it.

Has anyone seen any other design models of brutalist buildings? Let me know.

"The Typewriter" (Built 1966-1970)

As a enthusiast in brutalist architecture, New Court at Christ's College is a particular favourite to visit when I'm in the City.

With tiered rooms, decks and terraces it's true to Lasdun form. Is this his best work?

Interested to hear any stories about the building from people who visited or studied in Cambridge?

Researching Richard Seifert recently and was struck by how little documented information exists about him publicly, it's surprising given the scale of his work across the UK.

Deep in a Heritage Statement for the Blackley area near Manchester I found something I wasn't expecting: a painting by Seifert himself showing a far more ambitious masterplan for the site. The document describes it as a larger scheme of multiple towers and podiums extending southeast of the existing Hexagon Tower.

So, the building we know was apparently just the first phase of a bigger plan.

It's always fascinating to see original intentions versus final outcomes. Hexagon Tower is finely detailed and distinctive as a standalone building, but I keep wondering whether four of them would have been extraordinary, or whether the repetition would have diluted what makes it special.

Has anyone come across other references to this masterplan, or seen the full document?

Back in 2017 I stumbled across the Boyd Orr Building on the University of Glasgow campus, with zero prior knowledge of it, and ended up exploring several floors. It's one of those discoveries that sticks with you.

I'm writing up a Brutalist Diary entry about the visit now and have been going back through my old photos to piece together the experience. To fill in the gaps, I've been hunting for floor plans, archival images, and anything that helps me understand the building better.

That's when I found a photo of the original architectural model from the 1960s. There's something about imagery from that era that completely gets me, it feels retro and futuristic at the same time. Like pure optimism frozen in time. The ambition in those early renderings and models is palpable in a way that's hard to describe.

Would love to hear from anyone who knows the building well, has visited, or has come across good archival material. Particularly interested in:

• Floor plans or section drawings
• Any photos from the original construction or early years
• Stories from people who've studied or worked there

Always looking to make these diary entries as rich as possible. The building deserves more attention than it gets.

I always try to base my concrete models on the original designs of buildings. So I spend hours trying to source images, plans, and information about the buildings I'm modelling. It helps me to draw the details as close to the original design as possible. This makes me feel more closely connected to the intentions of the architect, and the original ideas.

Whilst working on my latest model of the Glasgow University Library, I came across this cool article (link below) documenting the construction of the Mackintosh House, part of the Hunterian Art Gallery. There are some amazing quotes and references telling the story behind the creation of this unique building.

This photo in particular gives a close up view of the construction, and shows the main library block in the background. Buildings usually get modified over time with extensions and adaptations, losing their original features. So I always get so excited to see photos like this.

Have you visited Mackintosh House?

Article: https://www.artiststudiomuseum.org/blog/house-built-memory/

Anniesland Court in Glasgow is the only tower block in the city with Category A listed status, and it's recorded as the tallest listed building in Scotland. For something with that level of heritage protection, it gets surprisingly little airtime in UK Brutalism conversations compared to Trellick or Balfron.

A 22-storey residential building. Banded elevations, prominent service tower, the whole confident geometric language you'd expect.

The form invites obvious comparison with Erno Goldfinger's work, but the chronology is interesting. Balfron Tower opened in 1967 (a year before Anniesland), and Trellick not until 1972. So Anniesland sits right in the middle of the Goldfinger run rather than after it.

Why is Anniesland Court so much less discussed than Trellick / Balfron given its Category A status, London-centric coverage, or does the tower itself lack the same drama?

And for anyone who's lived in or near it on Crow Road, what was your impression in person? Photos make it look more refined than its London cousins, but I've never stood under it.

Curious whether UK Brutalism fans rate it where Historic Environment Scotland does.

Being based in Birmingham, I am never too far from a motorway.

Despite the gridlock and lengthy journey, I often find them a brilliant place to view brutalist architecture and concrete constructions. Birmingham's Spaghetti Junction is a practical concrete sprawl, but viewed from below or above looks brilliant.

There are also gems to be found up in Lancashire, like the sculptural fins of Preston Bus Station or the sci-fi inspired Pennine Tower at Forton Services.

What others did I miss?