Brutalism: Concrete Made Beautiful

  • Two concrete buildings with rounded exteriors that look like corn cob

    Marina City

Concrete has played a significant role both in Brutalist architecture where it is front and center, and in skyscrapers as an unseen structural element. Join us on this bus tour as we view these buildings and visit "concrete central," where they make the material that is so popular these days.
  • Two concrete buildings with rounded exteriors that look like corn cob

    Marina City

This concrete-forward style has been a polarizing aspect of Chicago's built environment, with many Brutalist buildings celebrated for their architectural ingenuity and economy and others criticized for their stark utilitarian aesthetic.

Duration
3.5 hours
Site Type
Neighborhoods
Architects and Styles
Meet

Chicago Architecture Center, 111 E Wacker Dr.

Brutalism created the backdrop of the historical fiction film The Brutalist, 2024 winner of the Academy Award™ for Best Actor, Cinematography and Original Score. The style emerged in post-WWII Europe, where architects and city planners experimented with malleable concrete to quickly and inexpensively house people displaced by the widespread destruction of residential neighborhoods. Architects emphasized the inherent beauty and integrity of the raw material by exposing the concrete rather than hiding it within the structure.

Brutalist architecture gained traction in the United States as part of the Modern Movement in the 1960s, when architects experimented with concrete forms for individual buildings as well as large campuses, including government centers, schools, and multi-unit housing developments.

On this tour you’ll have a chance to see many key Brutalist buildings by prominent Chicago architects including Bertrand Goldberg, Walter Netsch, Harry Weese and others.

The 3.5-hour bus tour will explore how concrete evolved as an important construction material. The tour will include a stop at Ozinga to demonstrate how concrete is manufactured and its environmental impact.

Know before you go:
  • Mobility aids (walkers, foldable wheelchairs, etc.) can be stored on the bus.
  • Guests are welcome to bring snacks and closed top beverages onboard the bus

Tour reviews

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  • A mid-rise building with jagged angles and edges

    City Hyde Park. Photography by Steve Hall

  • Image of a tall concrete building with lots of visual lines and recessed windows.

    UIC University Hall. Photo by Eric Allix Rogers.

  • A tall concrete building with the number 55 in gold at the top of the face of the building.

    55 W. Wacker

  • A concrete building with rounded exterior against a bright blue skyline

    River City. Photo by Christine Balch

  • Image of a tall gray trapezoid shaped building.

    Asbury Plaza.

  • The face of a tour bus parked next to a black building with tall windows.

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